US Ambassador to Bangladesh Earl R Miller has reiterated the importance of workers’ rights and safety, and called on business leaders to protect workers and the environment and put an end to child labour.
In support of growing US-Bangladesh military ties, Ambassador Miller gave remarks at the closing ceremony of a US-Bangladesh Special Warfare Diving and Salvage (SWADS) exercise, recently held in Chittagong.
The exercise included modules on human rights, first aid, and mission planning.
The US envoy went to Chittagong on Tuesday on a four-day visit, where he also met with Chittagong Port Authority Chairman Rear Admiral Zulfiqur Aziz and toured the seaport facilities through which over 90% percent of Bangladesh's trade flows.
They discussed the important role US private business investment could play in port upgrades and other construction projects.
Miller visited the port city to promote bilateral trade and investment, support the growing military partnership between Bangladesh and the US, and bolster people-to-people ties, reports UNB citing a note of the US Embassy in Dhaka.
During his visit, the US envoy laid a wreath and planted a tree to honour Seaman Mohammad Nurul Islam, who was killed during a UN Peacekeeping Operation (PKO) in 2005.
He also paid his respects to the 146 Bangladeshis who lost their lives in peacekeeping operations, and expressed his appreciation for Bangladesh's support of international peace and security as the second largest troop-contributing country in the world.
Miller also visited the American Corner at Chittagong Independent University (CIU), where he met two-time Fulbright Fellow and CIU Vice Chancellor Dr Mahfuzul Hoque Chowdhury and engaged with Bangladeshis attending an event on autism awareness, in commemoration of World Autism Awareness Day.
He highlighted the opportunities of studying in the US as well as the EducationUSA information and services offered at the corner.
He later met with the founder and the vice-chancellor of the Asian University for Women to express his support for their dedication to women's education and leadership development, including the Rohingya students.
The US ambassador visited the Chittagong War Cemetery, where he laid a wreath at the grave of American pilot William B Rice, who lost his life as a member of the British Royal Air Force during World War II.
He also laid a wreath at the Cross of Remembrance in honour of the sacrifices of all who died in the conflict.
Miller visited US private energy company Excelerate, whose floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) in the Bay of Bengal is supplying natural gas used to produce power for Chittagong’s six million residents and its entire industrial area.
The FSRU has a 500 million standard cubic feet of gas per day re-gasification capacity that increases Bangladesh's ability to reliably use its domestic natural gas reserves.
Ambassador Miller met business leaders to learn more about local industries that contribute to the economic development of both the countries.
He also visited a ship-breaking yard and a steel melting and re-rolling facility.
