US Assistant Secretary Donald Lu arrives in Dhaka

US Assistant Secretary at the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu arrived in Dhaka today on a two-day visit.

US Embassy in Dhaka tweeted, "Welcome to Bangladesh, @State_SCA's Assistant Secretary Don Lu! While in Dhaka, Assistant Secretary Lu will meet with senior Bangladeshi officials to discuss strengthening our bilateral relationship".

Nayem Uddin Ahmed, director general (America wing) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, received Lu at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport this evening.

Welcome to Bangladesh, @State_SCA's Assistant Secretary Don Lu! While in Dhaka, Assistant Secretary Lu will meet with senior Bangladeshi officials to discuss strengthening our bilateral relationship. #USBDPartnership pic.twitter.com/qZWiI6IP9y

— U.S. Embassy Dhaka (@usembassydhaka) January 14, 2023

During the visit, Lu will meet senior government officials and civil society groups to discuss issues of mutual interest.

He is scheduled to have a breakfast meeting with PM's Private Industry and Investment Adviser Salman F Rahman tomorrow morning.

Lu has plans to discuss bilateral issues including trade, economy, human, and labour rights, and Indo-Pacific strategy.

Lu's visit comes less than a week after the visit of Rear Admiral Eileen Laubacher, senior director for South Asia at the US National Security Council. More US officials are likely to visit Dhaka later this month and the next.

Foreign policy analysts said the US is increasing its engagement with Bangladesh not only to press for free and fair elections, human rights, and labour rights, but also for drawing the country on its side under its Indo-Pacific Strategy.

Also, the US considers Bangladesh a potential market as its economy is expanding rapidly, and a strategic partner because of its importance regarding maritime access.

Foreign ministry officials further said Bangladesh would request the US official to withdraw the sanctions his country imposed on the Rab and its officials in December 2021 for alleged human rights violations.

Dhaka will also seek to have the GSP facility on Bangladesh's export to the US, which suspended the duty-free facility following the 2013 Rana Plaza disaster.