US under secretary arrives in Dhaka
US Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights Uzra Zeya arrived in Dhaka on Tuesday.
She landed at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at 6:00pm. Foreign secretary Masud Bin Momen received her at the airport.
This is the first visit of any senior US representative to Dhaka following Antony Blinken’s announcement of the new US visa policy for Bangladesh.
US Assistant Secretary Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, Donald Lu is accompanying her during the visit.
In her four-day visit, Uzra Zeya is scheduled to pay a courtesy call on prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
The US under secretary will also pay courtesy calls on law minister Anisul Huq, home minister Asaduzzaman Khan and prime minister’s private industry and investment advisor Salman F Rahman on the same day. She is also expected to take part in a lunch with foreign secretary Masud Bin Momen that day.
According to the diplomatic sources of the two countries, Uzra Zeya will discuss free and fair election, labour rights, human rights, human trafficking, Rohingya crisis, freedom of expression and protection of the rights of the minority with the representatives of the civil society as well as the government on Thursday.
She will visit the Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar on Wednesday.
Speaking to Prothom Alo at his office on Monday, foreign secretary Masud Bin Momen said, “There will be open discussions on the bilateral issues between the two countries, including election, human rights situation, freedom of expression and Rohingya crisis. Apart from learning the US’ stance on these issues, we will clear our stance.”
Uzra Zeya, however, visited India before arriving in Bangladesh. She will return to the US on 14 July.
In May, US Aecretary of State Antony Blinken announced a new visa policy for Bangladesh with a stipulation that people obstructing a free and fair election in Bangladesh will not be given the US visa.
Earlier on 10 December 2021, on the International Human Rights Day, Washington imposed a sanction on the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and its existing and former officials on allegations of serious human rights violation. That sanction created discomfort in the bilateral relations between the two countries.
However, the situation eased when Donald Lu, assistant secretary of state for south and central Asian affairs, came to Dhaka in early January and expressed satisfaction over the activities of RAB.
However, the adoption of the new visa policy within just four months of Donald Lu’s visit created a new strain on the relationship between the two countries, according to foreign policy analysts.