Speaker of the National Parliament Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, Bir Bikram, has called on the United States to take a more active role in resolving the ongoing Rohingya crisis in Bangladesh.
The appeal came during a courtesy visit by US Ambassador to Bangladesh Brent T Christensen to the Speaker’s office at the Parliament on Tuesday.
Hafiz Uddin briefed the Ambassador on the current situation and reiterated the historical support of the United States, recalling the contribution of American diplomat Archer Kent Blood during the 1971 Liberation War.
“The governments of Bangladesh and America are crossing a milestone in friendly relations,” he said, emphasising the importance of continued cooperation.
The Speaker also pointed out that the recent parliamentary election was conducted in a free and fair manner and stressed that genuine prosperity can only be achieved through democracy.
The meeting focused on strengthening bilateral ties, including duty-free access for Bangladeshi products to the US market, enhancement of US foreign direct investment, people-to-people exchanges, observance of Democracy Day through parliamentary caucus forums, and assistance in recovering laundered funds.
The two sides also discussed ways to mitigate the ongoing energy crisis through domestic oil and gas exploration to ease public hardships.
Ambassador Christensen congratulated the Speaker on his election and the delegation included senior officials from both the US Embassy and the Bangladesh National Parliament Secretariat.
