Despite differences, the United States is still intended to deepen cooperation with Bangladesh in a number of areas including security, trade and climate change.
Principal Deputy Spokesperson at US State Department, Vedant Patel, made this comment at the regular briefing in Washington on Wednesday, while replying to a question.
He said: "So, of course, this is an issue that continues to be of importance to us. I have spoken about this a great deal to some of your colleagues.
"But last year, we celebrated an anniversary as it relates to our bilateral relationship with Bangladesh, and this year in 2023 we look forward to deepening that relationship, and there are a number of areas in which we intend to deepen that cooperation.
"One of them, of course, is the opportunity for security cooperation with Bangladesh. But in addition to security cooperation, there of course continues to be potential for deepening our cooperation on climate issues, on trade issues, and many other issues of the like," he added.
The US official made the remarks replying to this question: "In spite of many differences, both Bangladesh and U.S. developed a strong counterterrorism cooperation. Recently Bangladesh achieved spectacular success dealing with terrorist threats. Now, according to the Global Terrorism Index 2023, Bangladesh tremendously improved its position. How would the U.S. evaluate the role of Bangladesh and does the Biden administration have any new plan to boost its engagement for counterterrorism in Bangladesh?"
The US, Bangladesh relationship is at loggerheads following Washington's sanction on a number of present and former officials of the elite police force, the RAB, and later announcement of a new visa restriction policy related to the upcoming general elections.