Jamaat ameer and US ambassador hold ‘warm’ meeting

The United States ambassador to Bangladesh, Brent Christensen, and the European union ambassador, Michael Miller, have paid courtesy calls on Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami ameer Shafiqur Rahman.

Christensen and Miller met Shafiqur Rahman separately at the Jamaat ameer’s office in the capital’s Bashundhara area on Thursday morning, according to separate posts published on Jamaat’s verified Facebook page.

One post said that US ambassador Christensen paid a courtesy call on Shafiqur Rahman at 8:00 am.

He was accompanied by Eric Gillman, political and economic consular officer at the US embassy in Dhaka; public officer Monica L Sai; political officer James Stewart; and political specialist Firoz Ahmed.

According to the post, the meeting was held in a highly cordial and warm atmosphere. During the discussion, the two sides exchanged views on a range of issues, including the prevailing political and economic situation in Bangladesh, industry and trade, the upcoming 13th national parliamentary election, state reforms, and the Rohingya issue.

The post further claimed that the US ambassador highly praised Jamaat’s positive role in Bangladesh’s economic development and democratic progress, and expressed optimism that bilateral relations between the two countries would be further strengthened in the future.

Those present at the meeting alongside the Jamaat ameer included assistant secretary general and head of the party’s central publicity and media department Ehsanul Mahbub Zubayer, central executive council member Mobarak Hossain, and the ameer’s foreign affairs adviser Mahmudul Hasan.

In a separate Facebook post, Jamaat said that European union ambassador Michael Miller paid a courtesy call on the Jamaat ameer at 9:30 am. He was accompanied by Sebastian Rieger Brown, political first secretary at the EU delegation.

According to the post, discussions focused on various issues of mutual interest between Bangladesh and the European Union.

It further said that particular emphasis was placed on the forthcoming national parliamentary election in Bangladesh and the importance of making democracy meaningful. Both sides expressed hope that mutual relations, development and progress between the two parties would continue in the future.

Assistant secretary general Ehsanul Mahbub Zubayer and the ameer’s foreign affairs adviser Mahmudul Hasan Chowdhury were also present at this meeting.