A US delegation holds a discussion on trade and investment with a Bangladeshi business delegation in the city on Saturday. Story on page 1 Bangladesh and the US will sign a Development Objective Agreement during the visit of the high-level US delegation, foreign ministry sources said.
The US delegation that will hold talks with different government departments on financial and development support issues arrived in Dhaka in the morning on Saturday.
Brent Neiman, deputy under-secretary for International Finance at the Department of the Treasury, is leading the team that also includes representatives from the US Department of the Treasury, USAID, and the Office of the US Trade Representative.
US Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, Donald Lu, arrived in Dhaka in the afternoon, following his three-day visit to India. He will be with the delegation till Sunday.
They had a meeting with a business delegation from Bangladesh in the afternoon.
"From energy security to data centres to transportation, U.S. businesses play a positive role in many facets of Bangladesh's economy! With the right economic reforms in place, the American private sector can help unlock Bangladesh's growth potential through trade and investment," a spokesperson of the US Embassy said after the meeting.
A US Department of State spokesperson stated that discussions would focus on how the United States could support Bangladesh's economic growth, financial stability, and development needs.
This is the first visit by any US delegation to Dhaka since the interim government, led by Prof Muhammad Yunus, took charge after the fall of the Awami League regime.
Bangladesh will discuss issues related to financial and development assistance, with the high level US delegation.
Commenting on the visit, Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain said that Bangladesh would seek US assistance during the discussion but the forms of the assistance would be determined by the finance ministry.
The foreign affairs secretary will lead the Bangladesh side in the bilateral meeting between the two countries.
The US Treasury delegation will meet separately with concerned departments of Bangladesh.
UNB adds: American private sector can help unlock Bangladesh's growth potential through trade and investment with the right economic reforms in place, said the US Embassy in Dhaka on Saturday after the trade and investment discussion.
U.S. Treasury Department Director Jerrod Mason, Chargé d'affaires (ad interim), U.S. Embassy Dhaka, Helen LaFave, Political/Economic Counselor, U.S. Embassy Dhaka, Eric Geelan and Mission Director, US Agency for International Development (USAID), Reed Aeschliman, also joined the meeting representing the US side.
American Chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh (AmCham) President Syed Ershad Ahmed, Vice President Eric M Walker, MetLife in Bangladesh Chief Executive Officer Ala Uddin Ahmad, Country Manager Mastercard Syed Mohammad Kamal and Country Manager, GE Nowshad Ali were also present.
The US delegation will meet Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus this (Sunday) morning, a senior official told UNB. They will also meet Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain and Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed apart from their other engagement.
Foreign Secretary Jashim will host a working lunch where representatives from the relevant ministries will attend.
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