The US relations with Bangladesh are not warm due to the Jan 5 general elections, American Ambassador Dan Mozena has said.
But, he said after a meeting with BNP Chairpreson Khaleda Zia on Tuesday evening, that his government would continue to support Bangladeshi people to strengthen democracy. “The US interaction with the sitting government is not business as usual.“But we will continue to engage with this government in support of all our programmes for people of Bangladesh. About other programmes, we will assess on a case by case basis,” he told reporters after emerging from the meeting, bdnews24.com reported.
Meanwhile, UNB reported, a fresh hearing to examine the ‘prospects for democratic reconciliation and workers’ rights in Bangladesh’ began at the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations in Washington today (Tuesday).
US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Desai Biswal and acting Associate Deputy Undersecretary for International Affairs, Bureau of International Labor Affairs, US Department of Labor, Eric Biel are taking part in the hearing from panel one.
Chairman of the Board of Directors, Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety, Ellen Tauscher and Executive Director, Bangladesh Center for Worker Solidarity, Kalpona Akter are representing the second panel in the hearing.
Committee Chair Senator Robert Menendez is presiding over the hearing that began at 10am (Washington DC time), according to official website of the US Senate Committee. – UNB
