US Ambassador in Dhaka Dan W Mozena laid emphasis on Saturday on building 'beautiful bridges' linking the people of Bangladesh and America to understand each other in a better way, reports UNB.
He said academics, college teachers and students can play their role to construct large, beautiful bridges linking the people of Bangladesh and America.
"Yours is a big task … building bridges is never easy … but after this conference you will be better prepared than ever to construct large, beautiful bridges linking the people of Bangladesh and America," said the US diplomat while addressing the inaugural session of a conference on 'American Society and Culture' in the city.
Bangladesh Association for American Studies (BAFAS) arranged the conference held at the Nawab Nabab Ali Chowdhury Senate Building, Dhaka University.
DU Vice Chancellor Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique and President of BAFAS Dr Ahmed Abdullah Jamal also spoke on the occasion.
The US ambassador said the conference will enable the participants to add new tools to their toolbox so that they can build ever bigger, broader, better bridges between the two countries.
He said America is often difficult to understand as it is a country of contradictions. "It's a rich country, but some Americans live in poverty. It is a modern country, yet some Americans continue to live in the 18th century. It is a country where so many have so much, but continue to want so much more."
Mozena expressed the hope that the teachers will encourage their students to consider pursuing their advanced studies in America. "Information on qualifications and scholarships is readily available at the American Corners or on line. Your students should also consider participating in Fulbright and other exchange programmes."
Another report adds: US Deputy Assistant Secretary for South Asia Atul Keshap arrived in the city on Saturday on a four-day official visit to discuss bilateral issues and regional matters.
During his visit, Keshap will meet with the 'national leadership', civil society leaders and private sector representatives to discuss a wide range of issues, including bilateral relations, labour, development, governance and trade, said a US Embassy press release.
Keshap is a United States foreign service officer from Virginia.
As the deputy assistant secretary, Keshap works closely with Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Nisha Biswal to coordinate the US government policy towards this diverse and strategic region of almost 1.5 billion people and over $2 trillion in economic output.
Prior to his current assignment, Keshap was the United States Senior Official for Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC).
From 2010 to 2012, Keshap worked with Assistant Secretary of State Robert O Blake as Director of the Office of India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Maldives and Bhutan Affairs.
