US Ambassador to Bangladesh Brent T Christensen on Thursday said military-to-military cooperation and strong people-to-people ties remain the cornerstone of the Bangladesh-US partnership, saying music serves as a powerful bridge between the two nations.
Speaking at a joint performance by the Bangladesh Air Force Band and the US Army's 25th Infantry Division "Tropic Lightning" Band at the Air Force Museum in Dhaka, Christensen said military musicians are among the finest diplomats because they communicate through the universal language of music.
The performance was organised as part of the US Embassy's "Freedom 250 America Week" celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of the United States.
"We're thrilled to be here for this event with the Bangladesh Air Force, our good friends and partners," Christensen said, thanking the Bangladesh Air Force for hosting the programme.
He said the Air Force Museum was a fitting venue for the performance as it symbolised the close partnership between the air forces of the two countries.
The ambassador said the collaboration between the Bangladesh Air Force Band and the US Army's 25th Infantry Division Band reflected the strong military relationship between Bangladesh and the United States.
Although the musicians met for the first time on the day of the performance, they quickly connected through their shared language of music, he said.
"For them to come together and collaborate like this is really a testament to the kind of ties that we can build quickly between our military and between our peoples for the betterment of both our nations," Christensen said.
He said the event underscored that Bangladesh-US relations extend beyond defence cooperation and are rooted in enduring people-to-people ties that continue to strengthen the broader bilateral partnership.
Christensen also invited people to participate in more "Freedom 250 America Week" events to be held across Bangladesh over the coming week and throughout the year as part of the United States' 250th anniversary celebrations.
Officials of the US Embassy, Bangladesh Air Force personnel, invited guests and members of the media attended the event.