He was probably fed up with questions.Officialy BD never withdrew talks with USA on this matter.He was asked multiple times, later once he said, Bangladesh won't sign agreement with a country who sanctions us.
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He was probably fed up with questions.Officialy BD never withdrew talks with USA on this matter.He was asked multiple times, later once he said, Bangladesh won't sign agreement with a country who sanctions us.
If he able to pull off GSOMIA-ACSA deals within the next 6 months or maybe a year then I might change some of my ill perceptions about this guy which I've for many years.Bangladesh-US keen to begin new chapter in relations: Foreign minister
Diplomatic Correspondent
Dhaka
Updated: 26 Feb 2024, 11: 05
Foreign minister Hasan Mahmud and the US delegation pose for a photoFacebook page US embassy Dhaka
Bangladesh and the United States are interested in starting a new chapter in relations, said Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud on Sunday.
He further said that the issue was discussed with the visiting US delegation in a very cordial atmosphere for more than an hour.
The members of the US delegation led by special assistant to the president and Senior Director of South Asia Affairs of the National Security Council Rear Admiral Eileen Laubacher met the Foreign Minister at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday.
The foreign minister informed the media after the meeting.
The US delegation also included Assistant Administrator at USAID Bureau for Asia Michael Schiffer and US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Afreen Akhter.
“How they (the US) can help us in our development journey and how to increase investment in Bangladesh was also discussed. Our mutual interest in starting a new chapter in the relationship was discussed in a very cordial atmosphere. We discussed it for more than an hour,” Hasan Mahmud stated.
The foreign minister also informed the media that talks have been held with US officials regarding bringing Bangabandhu’s self-confessed killer Rashed Chowdhury back to the country. “They are waiting for a decision from their judiciary regarding Rashed Chowdhury and they have informed us about it,” he added.
The cooperation between the two countries on security issues and the cooperation in international forums were also discussed, the foreign minister expressed.
When asked about the discussion on the agreements on GSOMIA (General Security of Military Information Agreement) and ACSA (Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement), Hasan Mahmud stated, “No specific agreement was discussed. But we are working on GSOMIA.”
Foreign minister Hasan Mahmud talks to the mediaCourtesy Foreign Ministry
In response to a question of a newsperson, the foreign minister said that there was no discussion on the recently concluded parliamentary election, meeting with the civil society and the country’s human rights situation.
Mentioning that there was a discussion on the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Hasan Mahmud said, “They informed us about five observations. We are working on those observations and they have started working on how to lift the sanctions.”
The foreign minister further said about the five observations on the lifting of sanctions against RAB, “They will inform us and we will convey those to RAB. We are waiting for details from them.”
The foreign minister also informed the media that the situation in Myanmar has created a security risk in Bangladesh and the matter was discussed in the meeting. “I have handed over to her (Rear Admiral Eileen Laubacher) the reply to the letter that President Joe Biden sent to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Our ambassador in Washington will deliver to her the original copy of the letter.”
Meanwhile, the US Embassy in Dhaka said in a post on its Facebook page about this meeting, “The United States supports a prosperous, secure, and #democratic Bangladesh. We discussed with the Foreign Minister, how our two countries can work on mutual interests, including #economic development, #security, #refugees, #climate, #labor, and #trade. #Bangladesh is an important partner in the Indo-Pacific region.”
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Bangladesh-US keen to begin new chapter in relations: Foreign minister
Bangladesh and the United States aim to forge a new chapter in their relations, as discussed by Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud with a visiting US delegation. The meeting focused on mutual interests, economic development, security, refugees, climate, labor, and trade. The United States reiterated...en.prothomalo.com
Makes sense for not going for ACSA now. I know there is a dedicated team working on these two but come on man, they're G2G agreements so, MOFA has a great deal and influence on it. By FM it doesn't literally mean only him.BD not working on ACSA.Only GSOMIA for the time being.Also such decisions are not taken by FM.
Bangladesh could be a key logistics node for the U.S. Navy.
However, it has a vibrant shipbuilding industry and Bangladesh Navy-owned repair facilities could support U.S. naval assets during any conflict.
Cooperating with the Bangladesh Navy, the U.S. Navy could use those bases to observe Chinese projects.
Bangladesh’s strategic vantage at the top of the Bay of Bengal funnel could provide the United States with an advantage in guarding the Malacca Strait, which is vital to the Chinese economy and industry.
The United States would benefit from joining the Bangladesh Navy in its modernization effort by providing it with training and by selling them U.S. equipment and technology.
During any potential conflict, Bangladesh’s naval bases could be a hub for logistics and a safe harbor for the U.S. Navy. The United States currently has no bases in the Bay of Bengal. While Diego Garcia Island will certainly be a logistics hub for operations in the Indian Ocean, Bangladesh—with its manpower, vibrant shipbuilding industry, and a professional navy—could offer U.S. Navy ships a place for rest, recuperation, and rearming.
Japan could help build a bridge between these two countries to ensure that the USN could use Matarbari deep-sea port as a naval operations base during any future war by blockading potential Chinese shipments that bypasses the Malacca to use CMEC as an alternative. This would provide the United States leverage against China in the Bay of Bengal region.
Bangladesh could provide the United States with an opportunity to establish a long-term partnership as a counter to China-dominated Myanmar.
Bangladesh’s location also has the potential to allow U.S. long-range ISR advantages over China by creating pressure on not only the Tibetan front, but also on Yunan.