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Bangladesh-USA multinational relations are likely to grow on a positive note in the coming days despite some vested quarters in Bangladesh and neighbouring country have hinted at souring relations between the new US government and the interim government of Bangladesh, said diplomats, top business leaders and researchers.
“The interim government of Bangladesh, headed by Professor Mohammed Yunus, is highly capable of progressing relations between Dhaka-Washington to a new height in the coming days,” said a top Bangladesh diplomat who worked in Washington DC in recent years.
After Donald Trump won the US election held in November 2024, some political leaders and pundits, primary involved with the ousted Hasina regime in Bangladesh, and a number of political pundits and politicians in neighbouring country are trying to portrait deteriorating relations between the Trump administration and the interim government, headed by Professor Mohammed Yunus.
The Democratic President, Joseph Robinette Biden Jr, served the US government as the 46th president of the United States from January 20, 2021 to January20, 2025. Nobel laureate Professor Mohmmad Yunus has warm relations with Democratic political leaders.
" Bangladesh should not be either worried or tensed about the new US President Donald Trump who will put stress on reviving the US economy and stepping in Russia-Ukraine war in the beginning of his presidency’ said the top Bangladesh diplomat while talking to The Dazzling Dawn on Saturday night.
The USA has been the largest investor in Bangladesh since the independence of Bangladesh in 1971. However, the United Kingdom retained top investors in 2022-23 and 2023-24 .
The top Bangladesh diplomat who worked in the Bangladesh mission in Washington said the USA policy makers and business houses are closely monitoring and evaluating the situation Bangladesh.
He said that Bangladesh has been going through a transition period during the tenure of the interim government, headed by the Nobel laureate Professor Mohmmad Yunus.
Former Bangladesh diplomat said that Bangladesh needs a political government, elected through a credible, transparent and reliable election.
He said the elections that Bangladesh witnessed in 2014, 2018 and 2024 will certainly not give a positive signal and the Election Commission of Bangladesh under Chief Election Commissioner Nasiruddin Ahmed should work out a plan to hold a credible, transparent and reliable election.
He said that the Election Commission of Bangladesh should invite the maximum number of election observers to monitor the next parliament election.
The USA is the single largest market of Bangladeshi goods in the world market. Bangladesh exported goods worth 7599527539 US dollars in 2023-24 fiscal year.
USA has suspended GSP facilities for Bangladesh in 2013 after the Rana Plaza tragedy citing poor safety and security measures that the new Trump administration will unlikely to restore.
According to Reuters, Argent LNG, which is developing a 25 million metric tonnes per annum (MTPA) LNG facility in Louisiana, has signed a non-binding agreement with the government of Bangladesh to purchase up to 5 million metric tons of liquefied natural gas (LNG) annually, the company said in a statement recently.
“This contact with the USA energy company will certainly give the Bangladesh government a chance to negotiate with the new USA government in an upper hand,” said an energy expert.
The relations between the Bangladesh Awami League government and the then USA governments suffered heavily during 2014-2024 tenure on rigged, controversial, questionable and one-sided parliament elections.
This is the first major U.S. LNG supply deal since President Donald Trump took office on Monday, and according to the parties, reflects industry confidence in the new administration's pro-energy policies.
Since coming to power Trump has taken executive action to end the Department of Energy's pause on licenses to export the super-chilled gas to countries that do not have free trade agreements with the United States, as he tries to increase U.S. exports of LNG. The United States is already the largest exporter of LNG in the world and is expected to double its capacity by 2028, according to the U.S. Energy Information Agency……
He said the Next West Bengal legislative assembly election is expected to be held in March–April 2026 to elect all 294 members of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly. The Hindutva policy of BJP and rest of the political parties will continue to haunt Bangladesh politics.
The Hindutva is a political ideology encompassing the cultural justification of Hindu nationalism and the belief in establishing Hindu hegemony within India
Mamata Banerjee is the incumbent Chief Minister of West Bengal
Regarding Trump's suspension on the funding through US Agency for International Development (USAID), the former Bangladesh diplomat said Bangladesh will not be impacted by the new US policy.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has announced a freeze on almost all new funding for foreign assistance programmes, with exceptions for allies Israel and Egypt.
The order from the US State Department on Friday also includes exceptions for emergency food programmes, but not health programmes that supporters say provide vital, life-saving services.
The US spent more than $60bn in foreign assistance in 2023, more than any other country overall. But that sum accounts for about 1 percent of US government spending.
Former dictator Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina on several occasions in parliament and after quitting power complained that the USA proposed to her in setting up a military in Saint Martin's island . As Sheikh Hasina denied the USA proposal, Washington prepared a master plan to oust her.
The US Department of State has rejected all allegations in regard to taking over Saint Martin's Island in Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, in the wake of US President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigrants in the United States, Bangladesh diplomats in Washington DC, New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Florida and Dhaka said Bangladesh is closely monitoring the situation .
To a question, a top Bangladesh diplomat in the USA said” The new US administration is taking steps against illegal immigrants, engaged in deadly crimes, including drug business. Bangladeshis living in the USA are not involved in deadly crimes and should be worried about the issue.’
Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of India recently said India will bring back its nationals overstaying in the United States or elsewhere.
In a weekly press briefing recently, MEA official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “For Indian nationals, whether in the United States or elsewhere, if they are overstaying or residing in a country without proper documentation, we will bring them back, provided the necessary documents to verify their nationality are shared with us.”
His remarks came in the wake of US President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigrants in the country. The US government has reportedly detained hundreds of illegal immigrants and started deporting them to their respective countries. According to some reports, around 18,000 Indians are also likely to face deportation.
Meanwhile, Former dictator Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, without taking any name, said she will not resort to selling any national assets or compromising the country's sovereignty to stay in power.
Major General (retd) Nayeem Ashfaque Chowdhury while talking to the Dazzling Dawn said that former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s claim of US interest in setting up a military in Saint Martin's island is baseless. He said the US has military bases in KSA, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, South Korea, Japan and the Philippines that can cover the USA interest in the whole Indian ocean. The existing location and environment in Saint Martin's Island are not conducive to setting up a military base, other Bangladesh would have set up its military base in the island. Even the neighbouring country will not allow the setting up of a US military in Saint Martin's Island.
To a question, a former senior Bangladesh diplomat who worked in Washington DC said that the USA directly gives cash support to Israel and Egypt in the world. Bangladesh has been experiencing dollar crisis since 2021 as the previous Awami League leaders in convenience with some businessmen siphoned off billions of US dollars creating economic crisis in Bangladesh
The United States of America has been a development partner of Bangladesh since 1972. Under an umbrella agreement titled "Economic Technical and Related Assistance" which was signed in 1974, USA has contributed more than $8 billion till today in different sectors like democracy and governance; food security; health and education; global climate change.
The USA provides most of its development assistance through USAID, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and some other government and non- government organizations
