Raheed Ejaz
Dhaka and Washington will focus on security, especially combating terrorism, and trade, during the US senior assistant secretary of state Richard Boucher’s scheduled meeting with the officials here today and tomorrow.
Boucher was scheduled to arrive in the capital early Saturday on a two-day visit to Bangladesh to meet officials, including the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina.
Diplomatic sources in Dhaka said Boucher would focus mainly on issues related to anti-terrorism from a broad South Asian perspective as the Awami League has proposed a regional task force to combat terrorism and extremism.
This is the first high-level visit by an American dignitary after the installation of the governments in Dhaka and Washington in January.
Foreign ministry officials said the issues of cooperation between Bangladesh and the United States in counter-terrorism as well as striking a deal on the proposed Trade and Investment Framework Agreement would feature prominently in the talks during Boucher’s visit.
‘Dhaka will also press for duty- and quota-free access of Bangladeshi products to the US market,’ said an official.
According to the tentative schedule, the senior official of the US state department will meet the home minister, Sahara Khatun, and the BNP chairperson, Khaleda Zia, also the leader of the opposition in parliament, on Saturday.
Boucher will meet the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, parliament speaker Abdul Hamid, foreign affairs minister Dipu Moni, state minister for foreign affairs Hasan Mahmud and foreign secretary Touhid Hosain on Sunday.
He is scheduled to leave for Kolkata Sunday evening.
Courtesy: newagebd.com
