US Ambassador to Bangladesh Dan Mozena was chief guest at a reception on June 17 at Potomac, Maryland, where he presented the keynote speech on America's expanding ties with Bangladesh. Hosted by US Bangladesh Advisory Council (USBAC) at a community centre in the suburbs of Washington, DC, the event was part of Ambassador Mozena's outreach agenda during his three-week visit to his homeland. The Ambassador's speech focused on how Bangladeshi-Americans could contribute to the continued growth of their ancestral motherland and illuminated the audience on US-Bangladesh relations.
Ambassador Mozena enthusiastically spoke about how Bangladesh could become the next Asian Tiger, and how Bangladeshi-Americans were already contributing to its fields in farming, solar energy, and software development. He mentioned that by making smart, creative business models, investing 'yourself and your time', and building people-to-people connections, investors could help their business thrive. He called Bangladesh an overflowing basket of agricultural bounty, a nation that will make global history as it achieves the replacement level fertility by next year to level off population growth.
Moreover, the Ambassador explained of America's $7-million healthcare funding that slashed child and maternal mortality, working with Bangladesh judiciary, police, and Anticorruption Commission to reduce corruption, which if brought to a reasonable level, would lead to 8 per cent economic growth, and assisting Bangladesh in repatriating money laundered to Singapore.
Ambassador Mozena elaborated on the security partnership, whereby US has provided ultra-fast boats to the Bangladesh Navy and Coastguard. This has enhanced the Bay of Bengal's maritime security by reducing nearly 70 per cent of robberies and getting Chittagong removed from the high-threat port international listing.
When asked about US policy regarding Bangladesh's parliamentary elections, the Ambassador referred to the January 6 State Department statement that called for new elections that would reflect the will of the Bangladeshi people. He commented that credible elections did not take place and the nation could not tear itself apart during every election season. He answered the final question of the night, regarding his India trip before the Bangladesh elections, by stating that it was taken to continue dialogue with the Indians to help Bangladesh move forward, and any media report to the contrary was just speculation. Ambassador Dan Mozena asserted, "People of Bangladesh will be masters of their own fate."
Ambassador Mozena's statements regarding Bangladesh's elections that were boycotted by Bangladesh Nationalist Party have definitely evolved over the year. Right after the January 5 elections, the US Ambassador called for new elections by May or June. In February, after meeting BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, he informed reporters that, "US interaction with the sitting government is not business as usual."
However, in the same month, he remarked that it was not for US to set the elections timeline, and that he made the previous statement as monsoon starts in June. During a press briefing in March, when asked if he wanted the election by June, he replied, "That ain't going to happen. US policy is the January 6 statement. No more, no less. Just take that statement. That's it."
The reception was USBAC's second time to host Ambassador Mozena, as part of its continuing engagement of promoting US relations with Bangladesh. The event showcased up-and-coming Bangladeshi-Americans and provided critical insights from the likes of Ambassador Mozena and former Bangladesh foreign secretary Farooq Sobhan. In addition to numerous members of the Bangladeshi diaspora, attendees also included former US ambassadors Howard Schaffer and Patricia Butenis, who added to the history of US-Bangladesh relations. Watching the ambassadors line up for mango mousse, with Dan Mozena dashing to the front, was itself something not seen every day.
For over a decade, this greater DC-based, non-profit organisation has been promoting socioeconomic and political ties between US and Bangladesh, serving as a link between the homeland and ancestral motherland. USBAC played a key role in forming the Bangladesh caucus in US House of Representatives, a group in the lower congressional body that is focused on Bangladesh-related policymaking. It also arranged a congressional delegation visit in January 2002, and regularly holds roundtable discussions with US officials regarding Bangladesh's economy, governance and development.
In an immigrant community dominated by overseas Awami League and BNP units, it is a breath of fresh air to see a nonpartisan, volunteer-run organisation that seeks to further prosperity for Bangladesh as a whole, and is cultivating better relations with the government of the world's sole superpower. One can hope that in the future, this grows into a fully-staffed, Washington, DC-headquartered advocacy group that furthers Bangladesh's development in the global arena. Bangladesh would far benefit in the long term if the initiative is taken today to further build this nonprofit organization that promotes all of Bangladesh, not just a selective group.
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The writer is Greater Washington, DC-based communications analyst
Email: t_choudhury@hotmail.com
Mozena and the reception by Bangladesh Advocacy Group
Tamim Choudhury | Published: July 05, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2025 06:01:00
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