Paul Kapur due in Dhaka today on 3-day visit

US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Paul Kapur is arriving in Dhaka from Delhi tonight (Tuesday) to discuss the future of Dhaka-Washington relations.

This marks his first visit to India and Bangladesh since succeeding Donald Lu at the US State Department.

During his stay in Dhaka, Paul Kapur is expected to hold meetings with several senior ministers, political leaders and business representatives.

Diplomatic sources in Dhaka and Washington say that, alongside bilateral matters, geopolitical issues will also feature in discussions during Kapur’s three-day visit.

According to them, in the context of talks on the future of Dhaka-Washington relations, US priorities may include trade and commerce, defence cooperation and visa-related matters.

Sources at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the US Embassy in Dhaka have confirmed to Prothom Alo that Kapur will visit Dhaka from 3 to 5 March.

Referring to past developments, diplomatic analysts note that Paul Kapur’s visit to Dhaka less than a month after the election is significant. In particular, despite fundamental differences with the then Awami League government over democracy and elections in 2024, Washington had sent the then Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu to Dhaka.

This time, Bangladeshi officials were informed at the beginning of last month that Paul Kapur would visit Dhaka following the election.