US ambassador meets Speaker, discusses bilateral cooperation
US Ambassador to Bangladesh Brent T Christensen paid a courtesy call on Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad Bir Bikram, MP, at the latter's office in Dhaka on 2 June 2026.
During the meeting, the Speaker said the relationship between Bangladesh and the United States began to advance during the Liberation War in 1971.
He said US diplomat Archer Kent Blood made an important contribution in support of Bangladesh during the Liberation War. Bangladesh and the United States are now passing an important milestone in their friendly relations, he added.
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The Speaker said the last national parliamentary election in Bangladesh was held in a free and fair manner. He said the people of Bangladesh have always struggled against autocracy.
"Bangladesh can achieve true prosperity only through democracy," he said.
During the meeting, both sides emphasised the importance of duty-free access for Bangladeshi products to the US market.
They also exchanged views on increasing foreign direct investment cooperation in Bangladesh, strengthening people-to-people relations, observing Democracy Day through a parliamentary caucus forum, US support for recovering money laundered from Bangladesh, and easing public suffering by exploring oil and gas fields in Bangladesh to address the ongoing energy crisis.
The Speaker briefed the US ambassador on the Rohingya crisis in Bangladesh and called for an important US role in resolving the crisis.
The ambassador congratulated Hafiz Uddin Ahmad Bir Bikram on his election as Speaker of the Bangladesh National Parliament.
Members of the US embassy delegation and senior officials of the Bangladesh Parliament Secretariat were present at the meeting.
