Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury has said that Bangladesh should receive greater assistance from the United States as bilateral relations improve and the country increases imports of American aircraft, fuel, soybeans and other commodities.
He made the remarks on Wednesday while speaking to journalists after a meeting with US Treasury Department officials in Bangkok.
He said the discussions covered debt management, US assistance and broader Bangladesh-US relations.
The minister said he had also held talks with representatives of the US Export-Import Bank and American assistance-related agencies.
“In the past, we did not receive much from the United States. But Bangladesh-US relations have progressed considerably. We are purchasing several aircraft from the US and importing oil, soybeans and various other products and commodities. So we should receive additional assistance from them. They have agreed on this. Now let’s see,” he said.
Khosru said the government’s economic policy was increasingly focused on reducing dependence on borrowing and attracting more foreign direct investment and joint investment.
“The main focus of our economic policy is investment. We want to move away from loans and focus more on direct investment and joint investment,” he said.
The finance minister said he had held extensive discussions with the US Export-Import Bank on this approach and expressed hope that Bangladesh would be able to move forward with the strategy.
Highlighting Bangladesh’s growing purchases of American products, including aircraft, fuel and soybeans, Khosru said the imports were affecting not only bilateral trade relations but also the country’s balance of payments.
