US to work with Bangladesh on shared vision

US President Joe Biden has written to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressing his willingness to work together to achieve Bangladesh's economic goals, as well as to cooperate on regional and global security and humanitarian support, especially for Rohingya refugees.

He also expressed willingness to partnering with Bangladesh on their shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific, says Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement yesterday.

The US embassy in Dhaka shared the letter with the foreign ministry yesterday.

"The United States is committed to supporting Bangladesh's ambitious economic goals and partnering with Bangladesh on our shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific," President Biden said in the letter. 

Biden said as the two countries embark on the "next chapter" of the US-Bangladesh partnership, he wants to convey the sincere desire of his administration to continue their work together, including on regional and global security, economic development, climate change and energy, global health and humanitarian support.

"We have a long and successful history of working together to solve problems, and our strong people-to-people ties are the foundation of this relationship," the letter says.

The Biden Administration has been critical of Bangladesh's democracy and human rights records, especially in the last three national elections. It also announced a visa policy in May last year, saying that it would deny visas to those who undermine Bangladesh's democracy and elections.

Global leaders including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on her winning the polls and becoming prime minister for the fourth straight time.

The US issued a statement saying that it shares the view with other observers that these elections were not free or fair and it regrets that not all parties participated in the polls boycotted by BNP and its allies.

However, the statement on January 8 also had said that the US supports the people of Bangladesh and their aspirations for democracy, freedom of peaceful assembly, and freedom of expression.

The US also condemned the violence that took place during elections and in the months leading up to it and encouraged the Bangladesh government to credibly investigate reports of violence and to hold perpetrators accountable.

In a regular briefing, US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller last Thursday said the US expressing concerns over the election or crackdowns on political activists does not mean it does not have the responsibility to work with the Bangladesh government.