Brent Christensen, the newly appointed 18th United States Ambassador to Bangladesh, arrived in Dhaka on Monday evening (12 January).
The ambassador landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on a scheduled Qatar Airways flight, where senior US Embassy officials and representatives of Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed him.
Diplomatic sources said Ambassador Christensen is expected to present his credentials to President Mohammed Shahabuddin later this week.
Christensen formally took the oath of office at the US State Department in Washington on January 9, administered by Michael J Rigas, US Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources. Following the ceremony, he pledged to strengthen bilateral relations between the United States and Bangladesh.
A seasoned diplomat and senior member of the US Foreign Service, Christensen previously served in Dhaka as Political and Economic eounsellor from 2019 to 2021. Observers noted that his appointment is significant at a time when Bangladesh’s interim government is undertaking reform initiatives and preparing for upcoming elections.
From 2022 to 2025, Christensen served as Foreign Policy adviser to the United States Strategic Command. He has also held key postings in Manila, San Salvador, Riyadh, and Ho Chi Minh City.
The last US ambassador to Bangladesh, Peter Haas, departed in April 2024. Since then, Tracey Ann Jacobson had been serving as Chargé d’Affaires. With Christensen’s arrival, Dhaka now has a full-fledged US ambassador.
