US deputy assistant secretary Afreen Akhter due next week

US deputy assistant secretary in the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs (SCA) Afreen Akhter is likely to visit Bangladesh next week to discuss issues of mutual interest.

The visit may take place on October 15-18, a diplomatic source told UNB, noting that she might also visit Cox’s Bazar Rohingya camps during the visit.

The Deputy Assistant Secretary looks after issues in Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and the Maldives, as well as the Office of Security and Transnational Affairs.

Akhter was the national security and foreign affairs adviser to U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen.

She visited Dhaka in May this year.

The US deputy assistant secretary will meet government officials to discuss priority bilateral issues, and election issues may also come up for discussion, said the diplomatic source.