PM Hasina invites US President Joe Biden to visit Bangladesh
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has invited US President Joe Biden to visit Bangladesh.
In a tweet on Friday, Bangladesh Ambassador to the United States M Shahidul Islam said, "Honored to have an audience with President of the United States in the Oval Office at White House. Bangladesh is an important country, Joe Biden said as we spoke. I conveyed HPM Sheikh Hasina's invitation to Biden to visit Bangladesh."
Meanwhile, the United States, on 24 June, termed Bangladesh's Padma Bridge as another example of country's leadership in promoting regional connectivity in the South Asia. In a media note, US Embassy in Dhaka congratulated Bangladesh on the momentous opening of the Padma Bridge.
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However, on 24 November last year, Bangladesh was not among the 110 countries that were invited to the Joe Biden's virtual Summit for Democracy.
Just after 16 days - on 10 December, the US State Department imposed sanctions on Bangladesh's Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and seven of its former and current officials over human rights violations. Due to the sanctions, the officials will not get a US visa, and may even have their assets in the US confiscated.
Later on 4 April 2022, US President Joe Biden, in a letter to Sheikh Hasina, expressed his confidence to further flourish Washington-Dhaka partnership for the next 50 years.
"I am confident our partnership will continue to flourish for the next 50 years and beyond," he said in the letter marking the 50-year milestone in the bilateral relationship between the two countries.
"We are proud of our partnership on development, economic growth and counterterrorism," Biden said adding that the two countries work together to address climate crisis, help the Rohingya survivors of genocide and support UN peace keeping worldwide.
He said Bangladeshis and Americans alike share the ideals of democracy, equality, and respect for human rights, and those are the foundations for healthy, secure, and prosperous societies.
Biden said the two nations are connected through familial, academic and commercial ties since 1958, when Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman participated in a 30-day exchange programme in the US.
