Bangladesh-US relations
Trade, geopolitics to gain prominence during Paul Kapur’s visit
This is the first visit by a senior US official to Bangladesh since the formation of the new government.
Paul Kapur has been appointed to the US State Department, replacing Donald Lu.
US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Paul Kapur will arrive in Dhaka on Tuesday to discuss the future of Dhaka–Washington relations. This will be his first visit to Bangladesh since his appointment to the US State Department, taking over from Donald Lu. Prior to visiting Dhaka, he will stop in New Delhi.
During his visit, Paul Kapur will hold discussions with several senior ministers, political leaders, and representatives from the business community. Diplomatic sources in Dhaka and Washington have indicated that his three-day visit, via New Delhi, will cover both bilateral matters and broader geopolitical issues.
Sources from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the US embassy in Dhaka confirmed to Prothom Alo that Paul Kapur’s visit is scheduled from 3 to 5 March. Diplomatic analysts note that the visit carries particular significance, occurring less than a month after the national parliamentary elections.
In 2024, Donald Lu, then assistant secretary of state, had been sent to Dhaka amid fundamental disagreements with the then Awami League government over democracy and the electoral process. In November 2023, he had sent letters urging unconditional dialogue with major political parties, preceding the ‘one-sided’ election of 7 January 2024. This time, Bangladeshi officials were informed of Paul Kapur’s post-election visit earlier this month.
According to the draft itinerary, Paul Kapur will arrive in Dhaka from New Delhi on Tuesday night. On 4 March, he will meet with officials of the US embassy. Later in the day, he will hold talks with foreign minister Khalilur Rahman, home minister Salahuddin Ahmed, minister of power, energy and mineral resources Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, and commerce minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir.
In the evening, he will meet with a delegation of business representatives. On the final day of his visit, he will hold discussions with political party leaders and attend an iftar party organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Trade and geopolitics priority
Following Bangladesh’s national parliamentary elections, Paul Kapur’s visit is the first by a senior US official, providing a clear indication of the roadmap for bilateral relations and priorities in the coming days.
Diplomatic sources have indicated that US president Donald Trump sent a letter to prime minister Tarique Rahman on 18 February, conveying greetings.
The letter refers to advancing bilateral relations, implementing trade agreements, and signing defence pacts. Discussions during Paul Kapur’s visit are expected to reflect the content of this letter.
US officials have already conveyed to Bangladeshi counterparts that trade agreements will be one of the main agendas during Paul Kapur’s visit. A diplomatic source in Washington said that senior economic advisor Laura Anderson will accompany him on the trip.
The visit may also include discussions on the return of Bangladeshis who have become illegal residents in the United States. Around 500 Bangladeshis have already been repatriated, and approximately 5,000 more are in the process.
The United States seeks to sign two specialised defence agreements with Bangladesh, GSOMIA and ACSA, with discussions on GSOMIA already progressing significantly.
In November last year, a US delegation visited Dhaka to discuss the matter, and this week a team in Washington held talks at the Bangladesh embassy. Defence cooperation is expected to be a prominent topic during Paul Kapur’s visit.
Diplomatic sources in Washington, New Delhi, and Dhaka indicate that the visit, via India, will also address US interests in India and the Indo-Pacific, particularly focusing on reducing Chinese influence in Bangladesh. The visit may also touch upon Bangladesh–India relations, with Washington possibly conveying messages about the long-standing positive partnership between the two countries. However, Dhaka maintains that as an independent and sovereign state, Bangladesh’s position should be respected in bilateral relations by Delhi.
Bangladesh to prioritise visas and trade with Bangladesh
Like other countries, Bangladesh signed a trade agreement with the United States on reciprocal tariffs. However, the US Supreme Court overturned President Donald Trump’s tariff imposition, leaving the agreement’s future uncertain.
During meetings with Paul Kapur, Bangladesh is expected to seek a clear US position on this matter. Bangladesh will also raise the issue of excluding business representatives from the US visa bond list under the B-1 category. Furthermore, Bangladesh will propose continued US financial support for humanitarian aid to the Rohingya.
When asked, former Bangladeshi ambassador and president of the research institute Bangladesh Enterprise Institute (BEI), M Humayun Kabir, told Prothom Alo that President Donald Trump’s letter conveying greetings to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman clearly positions Bangladesh as a partner in the Indian and Indo-Pacific region.
Paul Kapur will seek to understand Bangladesh’s role in this context. He added that the letter also underscores US interest in defence cooperation with Bangladesh, indicating that defence pacts such as GSOMIA and ACSA will be a key topic during Paul Kapur’s visit.