Trade, defence deals issues on top of agenda

A senior US state department official arrived in Dhaka Tuesday for talks aimed at strengthening strategic relations between the United States and Bangladesh, diplomatic sources said.

S. Paul Kapur, US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, begins his two-day visit focused on expanding trade, security cooperation and broader engagement in the Indo-Pacific region.

During his stay, Kapur is scheduled to meet members of Bangladesh's newly formed government as well as business leaders. Discussions are expected to centre on increasing bilateral trade and investment flows, enhancing defence collaboration and advancing what Washington describes as "shared interests" in the Indo-Pacific region.

Diplomatic sources in both Dhaka and Washington said the agenda would extend beyond strictly bilateral matters, with regional and geopolitical issues also likely to feature prominently.

In the evolving context of Dhaka-Washington relations, US priorities are expected to include trade and commerce, defence cooperation and visa-related concerns.

The visit comes at a time when Bangladesh is recalibrating its foreign policy amid shifting regional alignments and intensifying global competition in South Asia.

The United States has sought to deepen engagement with countries in the region as part of its wider Indo-Pacific strategy.

Kapur was sworn in on 22 October 2025 as assistant secretary overseeing South and Central Asian affairs. He is currently on leave from the United States Naval Postgraduate School, where he served as a professor in the department of national security affairs.

He previously held roles on the state department's policy-planning staff, was a visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution and taught at Claremont McKenna College.

Officials say the visit signals Washington's intent to maintain "high-level engagement with Dhaka during a period of political transition and strategic uncertainty".

mirmostafiz@yahoo.com