US Ambassador to Bangladesh Brent T. Christensen paid a courtesy call on newly appointed Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives (LGRD) Minister Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, during which the ambassador was urged to encourage greater US investment in Bangladesh.
The meeting, held Monday at the Secretariat, covered a range of issues of mutual interest between the two countries.
Following the meeting, LGRD State Minister Mir Shahe Alam told reporters that the courtesy call included detailed discussion of the government’s policies, the country’s current situation, and the government’s progress over its first six months in implementing its election manifesto.
The state minister said the meeting emphasized strengthening cooperation between Bangladesh and the United States, particularly on developing the local government system, expanding civic services and ensuring sustainable development.
He said both countries expressed interest in working together on developing Bangladesh’s water supply systems, waste management and renewable energy sector, with the meeting noting that modern technology, expertise and investment in these areas could help build the capacity of Bangladesh’s local government institutions.
Mir Shahe Alam said Bangladesh has opportunities for foreign investment across various development sectors, and that the country would welcome US investment in particular in local government infrastructure, water and sanitation systems, waste management and environmentally friendly energy. The ambassador was again urged to encourage further US investment in Bangladesh.
The meeting also touched on various social development programs in Bangladesh. Ambassador Christensen praised initiatives including the free distribution of bags to schoolchildren and the school feeding program, which were noted as playing a positive role in encouraging school attendance, boosting participation in education and reducing dropout rates.
The state minister said the meeting also discussed various government programs aimed at improving quality of life at the local level, highlighting the government’s priority of delivering essential civic services to people in all areas, including remote regions, and making local government institutions more effective.
He said the current government is working to prioritize the implementation of the commitments made in its election manifesto, and that the meeting also discussed progress on various priority programs to be implemented within the next six months, briefing the ambassador on different aspects of government policy and development planning.
Water management received particular emphasis in the meeting, which covered ensuring safe water supply in Bangladesh’s urban and rural areas, the use of modern technology in water management, and the need to build sustainable infrastructure with future demand in mind. Discussions also covered adopting modern, environmentally friendly approaches to tackle the growing waste-management challenges posed by rapid urbanization.
The meeting also discussed potential cooperation between Bangladesh and the United States in the renewable energy sector, with both sides expressing interest in expanding the use of environmentally friendly energy, including solar power, building sustainable local energy systems, and taking effective steps to address the impact of climate change.
Mir Shahe Alam said a friendly relationship with the United States, grounded in mutual interest, is important to Bangladesh’s development journey, adding that there is scope to broaden existing cooperation between the two countries and to work together in new areas. He said greater cooperation in sectors such as investment, technology, water, waste management and renewable energy would play an important role in Bangladesh’s sustainable development.
The meeting came at a time when Bangladesh is placing emphasis on attracting foreign investment across various sectors and expanding development cooperation.
The government considers the involvement of international partners important to its ongoing efforts to develop local government infrastructure, improve civic services and ensure environmentally sustainable development.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report