BANGLADESH

Bangladesh to have no friend Better of US over next 50 years: Peter Haas

United States Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas today said Dhaka would have no better friend than the Washington over the next 50 years while the two countries are reviewing their 50-year bilateral ties this year.

“I will say in Washington that I believe that in the last 50 years, Bangladesh has had no better friend than the United States. And that it will have no better friend over next 50 years,” he said while speaking at the flagship event of the Diplomatic Correspondent Association of Bangladesh (DCAB) styled “DCAB Talk” at Jatiya Press Club here.

In his welcome remarks, the ambassador said Bangladesh and the US are already moving away from a relationship based on assistance to one that emphasizes mutually beneficial trade.

“I believe our greatest opportunity to deepen our relationship is in building our trade and investment relationship,” he said.

He added “when it comes to security, our cooperation is deep and multifaceted”.

Members of the US military conduct exercises with the Bangladesh military to strengthen the country’s defense readiness, build operational interoperability and reinforce the partnership between the two military forces, he added.

“We also provide training to Bangladeshi law enforcement personnel and security services,” said the envoy.

Haas said Washington is willing to go as fast as Bangladesh is to deepen the partnership between the two countries.

“We are ready to continue to work with Bangladesh and build on the progress we’ve made together in food security, health and reducing poverty,” he said.

Moreover, the envoy said the US is keen to identify new and innovative approaches to address issues like climate change, promoting democratic principles and sustaining Bangladesh’s impressive economic growth.?

Haas, who came here as Ambassador three months back, said he will visit Washington soon to meet with a number of US government officials, congressional staffers, NGOs, and business people to discuss his experiences and observations in Bangladesh so far.

“I plan to report three things when I get to Washington, First, the successes of Bangladesh are real … second, the challenges Bangladesh faces are also real … and third, the US should remain the same steadfast partner to Bangladesh for the next fifty years as it has been over the past fifty years,” he said.

About the Bangladesh success, the ambassador mentioned about Bangladesh’s fast track of GDP growth, tremendous achievement in poverty reduction, decreasing infant mortality rate while the country is steadily progressing towards becoming a middle-income country.

“These accomplishments are real, tangible, and truly extraordinary,” he observed.

Regarding the challenges for Bangladesh, the US envoy identified extreme vulnerability to climate change, threat of cyclones, floods, crop destruction, food shortages, respiratory diseases, and mosquito-borne diseases.

He said the US has raised its concerns publicly and privately when it comes to democracy, human rights violation, enforced disappearances, press freedom and labour rights.

Terming Rohingya crisis as one of the challenges of Bangladesh, the envoy said continued presence of these displaced people poses huge challenges here.

“It is incumbent upon all of us to push Burma (Myanmar) to create the conditions to allow a safe, voluntary and dignified return of Rohingyas,” he said.

DCAB president Rezaul Karim Lotus and General Secretary AKM Moinuddin also spoke.

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