US envoy Brent Neiman in Dhaka

The US delegation led by Brent Neiman, assistant secretary for International Finance at the US Department of the Treasury has arrived in Dhaka this morning.
Khandker Masudul Alam, director general (North America) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, received Neiman at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at around 10:00am, foreign ministry officials said.
Donald Lu, US Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, will be arriving in Dhaka in the afternoon from India and join other members of the delegation.
Officials of USAID and the Office of the US Trade Representative will also be in the delegation.
This is the first visit by any US delegation to Dhaka after the formation of the interim government led by Prof Muhammad Yunus, which has undertaken a massive reform process in the state institutions and the economy following the fall of the Awami League government.
Tomorrow, they will call on Chief Adviser Prof Yunus, Foreign Adviser Touhid Hossain, and Finance Adviser Saleh Uddin Ahmed.
The delegation will hold an official meeting with Foreign Secretary Jashim Uddin over lunch. Officials from the ministries of foreign affairs, finance, commerce, labour, and Bangladesh Bank are also scheduled to be present.
“US and Bangladeshi officials will discuss how the United States can support Bangladesh’s economic growth, financial stability and development needs,” said the US State Department in a statement ahead of the visit.
“The United States is optimistic that, by implementing needed reforms, Bangladesh can address its economic vulnerabilities and build a foundation for continued growth and increased prosperity,” Brent Neiman told The Financial Times on Tuesday.
The delegation is expected to discuss Bangladesh’s fiscal and monetary policy, and the health of its financial system, he said.
Bangladesh’s relations with the US were strained during the AL government. In December 2021, Washington imposed sanctions on the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) over allegations of extrajudicial killings.
In 2023, the US announced a visa policy for Bangladeshis ahead of the general elections. Following the January 2024 elections, the US declared that the elections were neither free nor participatory.
“The US delegation’s visit after the formation of the interim government only demonstrates how the US gives importance to our relationship,” Foreign Secretary Jashim said on Thursday.