Bangladeshi-American ambassador in Fiji

Osman Siddique is the new US ambassador to Fiji. He happens to be a Bangladeshi-American.

Siddique addressed his first press conference in that country recently.

The Fiji Times, the leading newspaper of Fiji printed a detailed story along with a two column picture showing Osman Siddique addressing the members of the press corps in Fiji.

Siddique revealed at the press conference that the United States had approved an annual budget of $500,000 for the Fiji Military Forces' educational programme.

The programme was earlier suspended in 1987 after two military coups.

Siddique said Fiji was a great partner in the international community's peacekeeping programme.

Fiji is the only country in East Asia to have the US peacekeeping programme, the Fiji Times reported.

While writing about Osman Siddique, the Fiji times also mentioned that Osman Siddique, of McLean Virginia, has served on several presidential delegations, including the White House Conference on Travel and Tourism. He received his MBA from Indiana University in 1974 and is married with four children.

The Bangladesh born Siddique arrived in the US in the early 70s with no money and worked his way through Indiana University, doing odd jobs to finally become a travel agent and then open his own travel agency which is one of the leaders of the travel business on the Internet.

Osman Siddique is the first South Asian expatriate and the first Muslim to be appointed ambassador by the United States. His appointment by the US president was ratified by the Senate.

The Bangladeshi-American took his oath in August, 1999 in Washington, DC on both the Quran and the Bible, with the holy Quran placed on the top.

Osman Siddique, son of late Dr MO Ghani was a major contributor to the Democratic Party and served on several US presidential delegations.