UNB, Dhaka :Bangladesh and the United States will discuss regional cooperation and traditional and non-traditional security issues, including cooperation in countering terrorism, at the fourth Security Dialogue in Washington DC on Friday. Issues like cyber security, disaster management, military cooperation and peacekeeping operations in the UN will also be discussed in the dialogue, according to the Foreign Ministry here. Bangladesh expects that the cooperation between the two countries will get strengthened further through the dialogue.Bangladesh delegation and US Ambassador in Dhaka Marcia Bernicat are already in the USA to attend the security dialogue.Foreign Secretary (Bilateral and Consular) Mizanur Rahman will lead the six-member Bangladesh delegation while the US side will be headed by Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs Todd C Chapman, said an official at the Foreign Ministry.Senior officials from the Foreign Ministry, Home Ministry, Defence and Armed Forces Division are there in the Bangladesh delegation. In such dialogue, the discussions usually focus on a broad range of security-related topics, including strategic priorities and regional issues, security assistance, global security, and non-proliferation cooperation.Both Bangladesh and the USA will also discuss humanitarian assistance and disaster response issues at the highest levels of government, helping create a clear path forward for cooperation between the two countries.On April 22, 2014, acting Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs Tom Kelly and the then Foreign Secretary (bilateral) Mustafa Kamal chaired the third US-Bangladesh Dialogue on security issues in Dhaka.The first security dialogue was held in April 19, 2012 while the second one held in 2013, in Washington.The dialogue reflects two governments’ growing defence relationship and shared commitment to peace and prosperity in the region.It supports growing partnership in maritime security, counterterrorism, disaster risk management, peacekeeping, law enforcement, nonproliferation, joint military exercises and exchanges, and other security issues.
