Staff Reporter :
US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Desai Biswal on Wednesday expressed her country’s firm willingness to work together with Bangladesh in the fight against ongoing terrorism and extremism through meaningful cooperation.
She said this while holding a meeting with Foreign Minister AH Mahmood, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam and Foreign Secretary Mohammed Shahidul Huq at the State Guest House ‘Padma’ in the city on Wednesday morning. The meeting started at 9:30am and lasted till 11:00am.
After the meeting, Nisha Desai Biswal tweeted, “Important talks with Foreign Minister AH Mahmood, State Minister Alam and FS Shahidul Huq on the US-Bangladesh partnership and combating terrorism and extremism.”
She arrived in Dhaka on Wednesday following the gruesome murder of USAID staff Xulhaz Mannan and his friend Mahbub Tonoy.
She also has expressed willingness to continue to work together with Bangladesh for further strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries.
“The two countries would continue to work together in fighting against terrorism and extremism through meaningful cooperation, strengthening the bilateral relations, and for achieving our common goals,” an official of foreign ministry said. During the meeting, they discussed issues relating to Bangladesh’s countering terrorism, extremism and radicalism globally and expressed interest to work together in this regard, foreign ministry sources said.
Besides, current issues, specially relating to political stability, bar on freedom of opinions, killing of USAID staff Xulhaz Mannan, his friend, bloggers and Rajshahi University teacher Professor AFM Rezaul Karim Siddiquee were also discussed in the meeting.
US Ambassador to Bangladesh Marcia Stephens Bloom Bernicat, Deputy Chief of Mission David Meal, Political and Economic Counselor Andrea Brouillette-Rodriguez and other senior officials were also present during the meeting. Top officials of foreign ministry also attended the meeting.
According to diplomatic sources, the US Secretary of State John Kerry, who talked to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on April 28 about the murders, asked Nisha Desai Biswal to visit Bangladesh to bolster cooperation on countering violent extremism and terrorism.
During her two-day visit, Biswal is expected to call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Bangladesh Nationalist Party Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia.
Besides, she may meet Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and top ranking government officials to discuss the broader bilateral relationship and issues of shared concern regarding security.
Apart from them, she will also meet the embassy community, and hold discussions with local human rights and civil society organisations.
She is also schedule to hold discussions with local human rights and civil society organizations, and host a town hall meeting with employees of the U.S. Embassy.
