US delegation including Donald Lu to visit Dhaka, focus on economic assistance

A high-level US delegation is set to visit Dhaka in mid-September to strengthen financial and economic cooperation with Bangladesh in light of recent political changes, diplomatic sources from both Dhaka and Washington have confirmed.

The delegation will include key figures such as Brent Neiman, Deputy Under Secretary for International Finance at the US Department of Treasury, and Donald Lu, Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs. This will mark Donald Lu’s second visit to Dhaka this year, following his initial visit in May.

During their visit, the delegation will discuss US preferences for maintaining and enhancing bilateral relations with Bangladesh. They will also seek to understand Bangladesh’s expectations and demands, with the aim of finalizing policy-level assistance upon their return to Washington.

Md. Touhid Hossain, Foreign Affairs Adviser to the interim government, confirmed the visit, noting its significance as the first visit by a US delegation since the interim government took office. He emphasized that the discussions would focus on how to strengthen future bilateral relations.

The US delegation is also expected to meet with key figures in Bangladesh's interim government, including Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus, Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed, and Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain. Additionally, they may engage with leaders of the student-people movement, political parties, and civil society representatives.

Economic and financial cooperation will be at the forefront of the discussions, with the US delegation likely to address issues such as creating an investment-friendly environment, the repatriation of laundered money, and the payment of dues to US companies operating in Bangladesh. The potential for US assistance through the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) will also be explored, particularly in relation to labor rights and investment conditions.

Labor rights, a longstanding issue in US-Bangladesh relations, will be a key topic of discussion. While progress has been made in amending labor laws, further improvements are needed to meet US standards. The delegation may discuss labor rights as a prerequisite for financial assistance and investment.

Human rights and democratic reforms will also be on the agenda, though diplomatic experts suggest that the US may not exert significant pressure on these issues given the recent political changes in Bangladesh. The interim government has already taken steps to address human rights concerns, including signing the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance and establishing an independent commission to investigate such incidents.

The visit follows a UN delegation's visit to Dhaka in August, which focused on investigating violence related to the student-people movement and discussing the UN's involvement in Bangladesh's democratic reform process.
This upcoming visit by the US delegation underscores the Biden administration's commitment to strengthening bilateral relations with Bangladesh, with a focus on economic assistance and cooperation. The discussions are expected to cover a broad range of issues, from economic cooperation and labor rights to human rights and democratic reform, reflecting the complex and evolving nature of US-Bangladesh relations.