Bangladesh-United States Strategic and Bilateral Relations

[Joel Ahmed]

https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/mayor-baltimore-city-maryland-removes-zias-name-road-300670#.YTspUzYCKU0.facebook

UNB

10 September, 2021, 03:35 pm

Last modified: 10 September, 2021, 03:44 pm

Mayor of Baltimore City, Maryland removes Zia’s name from road

 

The office of the Mayor of Baltimore City, Maryland, USA has removed the name of former military ruler President Ziaur Rahman, said the US chapter of Awami League. 

At a press conference, the AL leaders said the Mayor office made it clear that they would not honor a military dictator by naming a road after him.

Earlier, the AL leaders applied to the office of the Mayor to remove Ziaur Rahman's name. 

On Thursday, a hearing was held at the Maryland State's Baltimore city's Mayor's office. 

The argument was that Gen Zia was a military dictator who came to power through a bloody Coup d'état and he should not be recognized by the great country of America. 

After the hearing, his name was removed which was shared by the AL leaders at a press conference. 

The AL leaders said Zia's name was removed as he was the first military ruler of Bangladesh underlining democracy while the US is a democratic country.

Dr Prodeep Ranjan Kar and Engineer Mohamnad Ali Siddiqui, among others, briefed the media there who also had joined the hearing.

[Joel Ahmed]

https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/national/momen-hopeful-of-extraditing-bangabandhu-killer-rashed-chowdhury-1632329094

Momen hopeful of extraditing Bangabandhu killer Rashed Chowdhury

Published:  September 22, 2021 22:44:54

Rashed Chowdhury, a convicted killer of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, will soon be extradited to Bangladesh through the proper legal process, according to Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen.

“This is a process which is quite time-consuming in this country (US), but we are always hopeful,” Momen said at a media briefing in New York on Tuesday, reports bdnews24.com.

“We had previously processed the deportation of another person from the US and he faced trial at home. We believe that we’ll be able to take this man home.”

 “We’re pursuing it (the legal process),” Momen said.

Bangladesh executed six killers of Bangabandhu 11 years ago but Rashed was among five convicts who continued to evade the authorities.

The others are Abdur Rashid, Shariful Haque Dalim, Risaldar Moslemuddin and ABMH Noor Chowdhury.

Rashed is currently living in the US, while Noor Chowdhury is in Canada. Despite demands from Bangladesh for their extradition, they have not been sent back.

The whereabouts of Rashid, Dalim, and Moslemuddin remain a mystery. Last year, media reports indicated that Moslemuddin was living in India, but the Bangladesh government was unable to confirm those reports.

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was killed along with most of his family members on Aug 15 in 1975 at his home in Dhaka’s Dhanmondi.

Bangladesh reversed its journey towards progress following the death of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib. The investigation into the carnage was stopped through an Indemnity Ordinance, which had saved the self-proclaimed killers from facing justice.

The ordinance was abrogated in November 1996 when the Awami League returned to power, paving the way for bringing the killers to justice.

After a lengthy trial, the court convicted 12 suspects and awarded them the death penalty in 2010.

Out of these self-proclaimed killers, five were hanged on Jan 28, 2010. They were -- Syed Faruque Rahman, Sultan Shahariar Rashid Khan, Bazlul Huda, Mohiuddin Ahmed and AKM Mohiuddin. Another of the killers – Aziz Pasha – died while at large.

Abdul Mazed, a fugitive convict, was arrested in Dhaka’s Gabtoli on Apr 7, 2020. Law enforcers said Mazed had fled to West Bengal and had only returned to Bangladesh during the COVID pandemic.

Mazed did not have a chance to appeal the death sentence but asked for a presidential pardon. The petition was rejected and his death sentence was carried out six days after the arrest.

Around that time, Kolkata’s Daily Anandabazar reported that Indian detectives had detained fugitive killer Risaldar Moslemuddin.

The Bangladesh government, shocked by the report, wrote to India’s NCBR on the matter. The government later said the news was ‘incorrect’.

 “There was a news report on Moslemuddin, but we investigated it and have not found any proof about its authenticity,” the law minister said.

Last year there were also reports that the US was reviewing the decision to grant Rashed Chowdhury diplomatic asylum.

On Jun 17, 2020, the then US attorney general William Barr summoned the Immigration Appeal Board to review the documents of Rashed's political asylum case.

US-based media outlet Politico wrote that the outcome of the review could lead to Rashed losing his asylum and being returned to Bangladesh.

Hasina had also written to the then US President Donald Trump, asking for Rashed’s extradition.

But there has not been much progress in the extradition process, according to Momen. “The (US) attorney general’s office is still checking the documents,” he said. “When we inquire about it, they say, ‘the attorney general’s office is independent and they are looking into the matter.'”

 “We asked our expatriates to inquire with the attorney general’s office about it. We told many people – but they haven’t been able to do much good.”

Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen, Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim, Rabab Fatima, Bangladesh’s permanent representative to the UN and Director-General (UN Wing) of Ministry of Foreign Affairs Samia Anjum were present in the briefing.

 

[Joel Ahmed]

https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2022/05/24/us-embassy-washington-in-touch-with-dhaka-on-newly-launched-ipef?fbclid=IwAR1PiWZ_IGB-dX9kY7MXnEJc44w1Pd3QPU5AoGTPGtV9GZY6sY4t6P8w52Y

US Embassy: Washington in touch with Dhaka on newly launched IPEF

US seeks to address digital economy and clean energy transition, says Bryan Schiller

 

UNB

May 24, 2022 11:25 AM

The United States (US) has said they look forward to continuing to exchange views with Bangladesh on the newly launched Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF).

“Bangladesh is an important regional partner of the US," acting US Embassy spokesperson Bryan Schiller told media on Monday.

Schiller said they have been in contact with Bangladesh about the IPEF since the Partnership Dialogue in March and at regular intervals in Dhaka and Washington.

The US seeks to address the 21st-century economic challenges, including the digital economy, clean energy transition, and supply chain resiliency.

US President Joe Biden on Monday launched a new trade deal with 12 Indo-Pacific nations aimed at strengthening their economies as he warned Americans worried about high inflation that it was “going to be a haul” before they feel relief, reports AP.

The president said he does not believe an economic recession is inevitable in the US.

Biden, speaking at a news conference after holding talks with Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, acknowledged the US economy has “problems” but said they were "less consequential than those of the rest of the world”.

The comments came just before Biden's launch of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, a new trade deal his administration designed to signal US dedication to the contested economic sphere and to address the need for stability in commerce after disruptions caused by the pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Nations joining the US in the IPEF are Australia, Brunei, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Along with the US, they represent 40% of world GDP.

The countries said in a joint statement that the pact will help them collectively “prepare our economies for the future” following disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

[Joel Ahmed]

https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/national/bangladesh-wont-face-sri-lanka-like-crisis-us-ambassador-1653996320

Bangladesh won’t face Sri Lanka-like crisis: US ambassador

Published:  May 31, 2022 17:25:20

The United States does not see any Sri Lanka-like situation in Bangladesh, noting that Bangladesh is a country which has done 'extremely well' in terms of debt management with careful borrowing and a strong foreign currency reserve.

“Basically Bangladesh is not Sri Lanka,” said US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas, mentioning that fundamentally there are different sets of challenges.

He also mentioned that Bangladesh has taken a small amount of loan from China.

The ambassador, however, said it does not mean that Bangladesh's economy does not face challenges - with inflation and growing food prices.

He was responding to questions at “DCAB Talk” organised by Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) at Jatiya Press Club, reports UNB. 

“Just think for a moment about how far Bangladesh has come since its war for independence--from a newborn country devastated by conflict to a thriving country with one of the world’s fastest growing economies,”  Haas said.

National Elections

Responding to a question, the envoy said he has been speaking about the importance of having free, fair and transparent elections here in Bangladesh where the people have the right and the ability to freely elect their leaders.

He, however, said it is up to Bangladesh to decide how it is going to create those conditions required for a free election.

The envoy said freedom of press, no violence and the role of the Election Commission are some of the important factors to ensure a fair election.

This is the job of the Bangladesh government, Bangladeshi people, media and (Bangladesh's) civil society to ensure a free and fair election, he added.

IPEF & Bangladesh

Responding to a question, Haas said there will be opportunities for other countries to join in the recently launched Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF).

There have been consultations with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in March regarding the IPEF and the ambassador hoped that Bangladesh will follow it closely.

President Biden launched the IPEF with a dozen initial partners: Australia, Brunei, India, Indonesia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Together, they represent 40% of world GDP. 

Regarding sanctions imposed on the elite force Rab, the US envoy said President Biden has made it clear that human rights and protection of human rights are central to the US foreign policy.

And the sanctions imposed against the Rab and some of the officials were the result of that, he said.

 Haas said the US wants accountability for the Rab and avoid potential human rights abuses and efforts to make sure that those abuses do not happen again in the future. It is not really the question of providing the list of things that must be accomplished

"So, it's not really a question of providing a list of things that must be accomplished. It's not about specifics but the underlying principles: commitment to human rights and commitment to accountability in the cases of human rights violations,” he said.

DCAB President Rezaul Karim Lotus moderated the programme while it's General Secretary AKM Moinuddin delivered welcome remarks.

[Joel Ahmed]

https://bangla.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2022/06/25/1656174971210

জো বাইডেনকে বাংলাদেশ সফরের আমন্ত্রণ জানিয়েছেন প্রধানমন্ত্রী

বৈঠকে বাইডেন বাংলাদেশের রাষ্ট্রদূতকে বলেন, ‘বাংলাদেশ একটি গুরুত্বপূর্ণ দেশ’

 

ইউএনবি

প্রকাশিত: ০৮:৩৬ রাত জুন ২৫, ২০২২

মার্কিন প্রেসিডেন্ট জো বাইডেনকে বাংলাদেশ সফরের আমন্ত্রণ জানিয়েছেন যুক্তরাষ্ট্রে নিযুক্ত বাংলাদেশের রাষ্ট্রদূত এম শহীদুল ইসলাম। এ সময় তিনি প্রধানমন্ত্রী শেখ হাসিনার আমন্ত্রণপত্র প্রেসিডেন্ট বাইডেনের কাছে পৌঁছে দেন।

বৈঠকে বাইডেন বাংলাদেশের রাষ্ট্রদূতকে বলেন, “বাংলাদেশ একটি গুরুত্বপূর্ণ দেশ।”

বাংলাদেশের রাষ্ট্রদূত বলেছেন, “হোয়াইট হাউসের ওভাল অফিসে মার্কিন প্রেসিডেন্টের সঙ্গে সাক্ষাৎ করতে পেরে সম্মানিত বোধ করছি।”

চ্যালেঞ্জ মোকাবিলায় দুই পক্ষই সম্পর্ক জোরদার করতে চায় বলে বাংলাদেশ ও যুক্তরাষ্ট্র এ বছর একাধিক দ্বিপক্ষীয় বৈঠক করেছে।

এর আগে, ২৪ জুন ঢাকায় মার্কিন দূতাবাস এক বিবৃতিতে বাংলাদেশকে অভিনন্দন জানায়। দূতাবাসের বিবৃতিতে বলা হয়, “পদ্মা সেতু বাংলাদেশের অভ্যন্তরে নতুন ও গুরুত্বপূর্ণ সংযোগ তৈরি করবে, বাণিজ্যকে উৎসাহিত করবে এবং জীবনযাত্রার মান উন্নত করবে।”

মানুষ ও পণ্যকে দক্ষতার সঙ্গে সংযুক্ত করার জন্য টেকসই পরিবহন অবকাঠামো নির্মাণ অন্তর্ভুক্তিমূলক অর্থনৈতিক প্রবৃদ্ধিকে উৎসাহিত করার ক্ষেত্রে গুরুত্বপূর্ণ মন্তব্য করে বিবৃতিতে আরও বলা হয়, দক্ষিণ এশিয়ায় আঞ্চলিক যোগাযোগ প্রসারে বাংলাদেশের নেতৃত্বের আরেকটি উদাহরণ হলো পদ্মা সেতু।

ধারণা করা হচ্ছে, সেতুটি দেশের জিডিপি ১.২৩% বৃদ্ধি করবে। কারণ পদ্মা সেতু চালু হলে তা দেশের দক্ষিণ ও দক্ষিণ-পশ্চিমাঞ্চলীয় অঞ্চলে অর্থনৈতিক কর্মকাণ্ড বাড়াবে। সরবরাহ ব্যবস্থাতেও উন্নতি আসবে।

[Joel Ahmed]

https://www.dhakapost.com/national/126296

ঢাকা-ওয়াশিংটনের ৫০ বছর পূর্তি বিষয়ে নিউইয়র্কে বৈঠক

নিজস্ব প্রতিবেদক

০২ জুলাই ২০২২, ০১:৪৩ এএম

‘বাংলাদেশ-যুক্তরাষ্ট্র সম্পর্কের ৫০ বছর : বিশ্ব মঞ্চে বাংলাদেশ’ বিষয়ক একটি গোলটেবিল বৈঠকের আয়োজন ক‌রে‌ছে নিউইয়র্কের বাংলাদেশ কনস্যুলেট জেনারেল।

শুক্রবার (১ জুলাই) কনস্যুলেট জেনারেল এক বিজ্ঞপ্তিতে এ তথ্য জানায়।

বিজ্ঞপ্তিতে বলা হয়, বৈঠকে যুক্তরাষ্ট্রের ব্যবসায়ীরা, বিশেষ করে যারা সম্প্রতি বাংলাদেশ সফর করেছেন তারা উপস্থিত ছি‌লেন। এ‌তে বর্তমান বিশ্ব প্রেক্ষাপট ও বাস্তবতায় বৈশ্বিক ও আঞ্চলিকভাবে তাৎপর্যপূর্ণ বিভিন্ন বিষয়ে নিয়ে বক্তারা আলোচনা করেন।

কনসাল জেনারেল ড. ম‌নিরুল ইসলাম বাংলাদেশের সঙ্গে প্রতিবেশীসহ বিশ্বের অন্যান্য দেশের মধ্যকার বিরাজমান সম্পর্কের ওপর আলোকপাত করেন। তি‌নি ব‌লেন, ভূ-রাজনৈতিক ও ভূ-অর্থনৈতিক বিবেচনায় বাংলাদেশ ক্রমবর্ধমান হারে বিশ্বের দৃষ্টি আকর্ষণ করছে।

বৈঠকে বাংলাদেশ-যুক্তরাষ্ট্র দ্বিপাক্ষিক সম্পর্কের নানা দিক উঠে আসে। এর মধ্যে প্রাধান্য পায়- রোহিঙ্গা ইস্যু, জলবায়ু পরিবর্তন ও প্রাকৃতিক দুর্যোগ মোকাবিলা, ব্যবসা-বাণিজ্য ও বিনিয়োগের ক্ষেত্রে পারস্পরিক সহযোগিতাগুলো।

প্রধানমন্ত্রী শেখ হাসিনার নেতৃত্বে বাংলাদেশের আর্থ-সামাজিক ক্ষেত্রে যে অভাবনীয় উন্নয়ন সাধিত হয়েছে তা বর্ণনা করে কনসাল জেনারেল বলেন, বাংলাদেশ এখন বিশ্বে উন্নয়নের রোল মডেল হিসাবে বিবেচিত হচ্ছে। দারিদ্র বিমোচন, নারীর ক্ষমতায়ন, জলবায়ু পরিবর্তনজনিত প্রভাব মোকাবিলা এবং বিশ্ব শান্তি রক্ষায় বাংলাদেশের ভূমিকা প্রশংসিত হচ্ছে।

বিশেষ অর্থনৈতিক অঞ্চল থেকে পাওয়া সুবিধাগুলোর বর্ণনা দিয়ে তিনি ব‌লেন, যুক্তরাষ্ট্রের শিল্পপতি ও বিনিয়োগকারীদের জন্য বাংলাদেশে বিনিয়োগের অপার সম্ভাবনা রয়েছে। এক্ষেত্রে তিনি অন্যান্যের মধ্যে নবায়নযোগ্য জ্বালানি, জাহাজ নির্মাণ শিল্প, তথ্য প্রযুক্তি, কৃষি প্রক্রিয়াজাতকরণ ও পর্যটন খাতগুলোর কথা বিশেষভাবে চিহ্নিত করেন।

[Joel Ahmed]

https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/national/us-assistant-secretary-sison-to-visit-bangladesh-soon-1659179902

US assistant secretary Sison to visit Bangladesh soon

Published:  July 30, 2022 17:18:22 | Updated:  July 30, 2022 22:53:34

https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/uploads/1659179902.jpg

US Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs Michele J Sison will travel to India, Bangladesh, and Kuwait on August 2-10.

Sison will have consultations on a range of US multilateral priorities, including combating food insecurity, advancing global health, addressing human rights and humanitarian needs, peacekeeping and peacebuilding, and support for Rohingya refugees.

Her meetings with senior government officials will focus on opportunities to deepen our cooperation at the United Nations, and US support for the candidacy of Doreen Bogdan-Martin to become the next Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union, according to the US Department of State.

In meetings with civil society leaders, the Assistant Secretary will exchange ideas on how the United States and other countries can collaborate on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, reports UNB.

Sison was sworn in as Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs on December 21, 2021.

She served as US Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Maldives (2012-2014), U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon (2008-2010), and US Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (2004-2008).