New US envoy arrives in city

US Ambassador-designate to Bangladesh Marcia Stephens Bloom Bernicat arrived in Dhaka on Sunday to take up her diplomatic assignment in the country amid escalating political tensions.

Diplomatic sources confirmed her arrival in Dhaka. She replaces her predecessor Dan W Mozena who went on retirement recently.

She is unlikely to meet the press before presenting her credentials to the President, according to the sources.

The newly-appointed US ambassador arrived at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at around 3:30 pm on the day by a Thai Airways flight.

Foreign Relations Committee of US Senate on November 19, 2014 finalised the appointment of Marcia Stephens Bloom Bernicat as the new US Ambassador to Dhaka after her taking part in a hearing of the Committee. Earlier on May 22, 2014 US President Barack Obama announced to nominate some individuals including Marcia S. Bernicat to key posts of his Administration.

Bernicat, who was Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Human Resources at the Department of State, came to the limelight in Bangladesh media in July last year, when she commented on the January 5 election in 2014 while giving her testimony before the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.

She, however, said that she would work hard to support efforts to promote accountability and strengthen human rights and democracy in Bangladesh.

Bernicat, a career member of the Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, was previously Ambassador to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau from 2008 to 2011. She also served in the Department of State as Office Director for India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Bhutan in the Bureau of South Asian Affairs from 2006 to 2008.  

From 2004 to 2006, she was the Senior-Level Director and Career Development Officer in the Bureau of Human Resources at the State Department.  

Ambassador Bernicat also served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Bridgetown, Barbados from 2001 to 2004, and as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Lilongwe, Malawi from 1998 to 2001.  

She was Principal Officer at the US Consulate in Casablanca, Morocco from 1995 to 1998, Deputy Political Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, India from 1992 to 1995, and Desk Officer for Nepal and India in the Bureau of Near East and South Asian Affairs from 1988 to 1990.

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