Bangladesh is closely monitoring the evolving relationship between New Delhi and Washington after US President Barack Obama’s recent India visit.
“The warmth of relationship between the countries reached a new height and the interaction between Narendra Modi and Obama broke all protocol to make it informal,” said a senior official of the Foreign Ministry.
Indian Prime Minister Modi has a business-like attitude and enjoys majority support in parliament; US President Obama’s visit is not only important for the two countries but also for the entire neighbourhood, he said.
“We need to develop our foreign policy in line with changes and expected changes in different countries,” he added.
The visit might change the behavior of other neighbouring countries like China and Pakistan and Bangladesh would take those into consideration, the official said.
The foreign ministry had a meeting last week to analyse the new dynamics in the Modi-Obama relationship, its implication and how Dhaka can capitalise it.
Relationships in the South Asian region are changing and the US involvement in it may be an opportunity for Bangladesh, said another official.
Connectivity, water, trade, investment, migration and energy are the priority areas for Bangladesh in developing bilateral relationship with other countries and India and the US fit in all those aspects, the official said.
“Bangladesh should focus more on economic front and in that respect the government should mobilise US diplomats in Dhaka and Bangladeshi diplomats in Washington,” said the official.
“The new US ambassador has arrived in Dhaka and she can be an effective mean to boost relationship with Washington,” he added.
US ambassador designate Marcia Stephen Bloom Bernicat is scheduled to submit her credential before President Abdul Hamid today.
The Foreign Ministry believes that the US ambassador designate will be more sensible than her predecessor.
Marcia arrived in Dhaka last month and was received at the airport by Mahfuzur Rahman, director general Americas of the Foreign Ministry.
Her predecessor Dan Mozena loved to talk with the press on various issues starting from Grameen Bank to election to politics. He even spoke with the press right at the airport on the very day he arrived in November 2011.
When Bernicat arrived at the airport, she was asked not to talk with the press and she was positive about it, said another foreign ministry official. “It is a good gesture from her part.”
The foreign ministry will maintain Bangladesh-US relationship in line with the government policy and at the same time maintain personal relationships with the US diplomats, he said.
Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali and Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque has also been maintaining excellent personal relationships with US diplomats, he added.
“This is the first time an US ambassador designate was received by the DG Americas. He was also the person who saw off Mozena. This has never happened before,” said the official.
Usually, when an ambassador designate arrives in the city, they are received at the airport by a junior official of the protocol wing of the Foreign Ministry.
