DHAKA, Bangladesh — A high-level US delegation met the head of Bangladesh’s interim government, Nobel Peace Prize winner, on Sunday Mohammed Yunusto reaffirm “commitment to promoting inclusive economic growth,” the US Embassy in Dhaka said.
Yunus took over after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled the country last month amid a mass uprising, accused of corruption, human rights abuses and excessive use of force against protesters.
During her 15 year ruleHasina maintained close relations with India, China and Russia who have invested heavily in the country’s infrastructure development, trade and investment. The US has also become the largest foreign investor in Bangladesh under Hasina.
Yunus said on Sunday he was seeking US support “to rebuild the country, carry out essential reforms and return stolen assets,” his news agency said in a statement after meeting the delegation at the State Guest House Jamuna in Dhaka.
He told US delegates that his interim government had acted swiftly to “reset, reform and restart” the economy, implement reforms in the financial sectors and restore institutions such as the judiciary and police, the statement said.
The U.S. delegation, led by Brent Neiman, assistant secretary for international finance at the U.S. Treasury Department, included representatives from the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. Donald Lu, assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian Affairs, joined the delegation after a visit to India.
They met with several officials in Dhaka, including Touhid Hossain, the country’s adviser at the State Department. USAID also signed an agreement to provide $202.25 million in aid to Bangladesh.
The US Embassy emphasized on X how much American companies have established themselves in the South Asian country.
“With the right economic reforms, the US private sector can help unlock Bangladesh’s growth potential through trade and investment,” the embassy wrote on its official account.
Upon arrival on Saturday, the delegation also met representatives of US companies operating in Bangladesh under the American Chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh (AmCham).
Company representatives expressed concerns about security and lack of law and order in Bangladesh.
AmCham Chairman Syed Ershad Ahmed told the meeting that while there have been improvements after the installation of the interim government, “there are still some bottlenecks”. Profit recovery amid the ongoing US dollar crisis and supply chain challenges due to port congestion were among the issues he raised.
The meeting came amid unrest in the country’s largest garment industry, with workers taking to the fields and closing factories as they demanded better working conditions, including higher wages. The factory owners, government and worker leaders are holding meetings to defuse tensions.
Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate-related disasters. The US embassy said on its official Facebook page that the United States wanted to help it “mitigate climate risks.”
