Prime Minister's Private Industry and Investment Advisor Salman F Rahman has said there has been no discussion on the January 7 general election with the visiting US delegation, with both sides focusing on how to deepen their relations in the coming days.
“The election is now a thing of the past. They did not say anything about it and neither did we. Rather, in the coming days, how to deepen relations between the two countries has been discussed,” Salman said as he hosted a dinner Sunday in honour of the visiting US delegation.
Eileen Laubacher, special assistant to the president and senior director for South Asia at the US National Security Council (NSC), Michael Schiffer, USAID Asia Bureau assistant administrator, and Afreen Akhter, State Department deputy assistant secretary for South and Central Asia, attended the dinner at his residence.
US-Bangladesh relations have been widely discussed because of Washington’s interest in the general election. After the election on January 7, the US in a statement said it had not found the polling to be free and fair, triggering speculations that the relations will deteriorate further.
But President Joe Biden in a letter to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed his willingness to work with the Prime Minister to achieve Bangladesh's economic goals.
He also expressed keenness to partner with Bangladesh on their shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific.
Salman F Rahman said the US wanted to start a new chapter in its relations with the government.
“Along with that, the country wants to work with Bangladesh to increase bilateral trade and investment, security cooperation, improve the labour environment, and combat climate change,” he said.
He said the US wanted to include Bangladesh in its Development Finance Program. “For this they have mentioned some conditions. We have asked them to inform us about those conditions. They will inform us soon. Besides, ongoing projects with them will continue”.