Dhaka eyes talks on visa policy, sanctions removal during Donald Lu's visit

Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud on Monday said that issues related to visa policy and Dhaka’s call for withdrawal of sanctions may come up for discussion during Donald Lu’s visit.

“These issues may naturally come up,” he said when a reporter wanted to know whether Bangladesh will raise these issues as US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu is coming to Dhaka on Tuesday. 

Donald Lu will be in Dhaka as part of his tri-nation tour of the region. He visited India and is now visiting Sri Lanka.

Assistant Secretary Lu will conclude his trip in Dhaka, where he will meet with government officials, civil society leaders, and other Bangladeshis to discuss Bangladesh-US cooperation, including addressing the climate crisis and deepening economic ties, according to the US Department of State.

The foreign minister said Bangladesh maintains excellent relations with the United States and they will work together to take the relations further.

“Whoever visits Bangladesh from the US administration, we will work together to advance our relationship. There are economic relations and we have cooperation in various fields,” he told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

After the January 7 national election, the US in a statement on January 8 said, "Looking ahead, the United States remains committed to partnering with Bangladesh to advance our shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific, to supporting human rights and civil society in Bangladesh, and to deepening our people-to-people and economic ties."

In February this year, Eileen Laubacher, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for South Asia, US National Security Council (NSC); Michael Schiffer, USAID Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Asia; and Afreen Akhter, US Department of State Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asia, paid a three-day visit to Bangladesh.

"There is willingness from both sides. Together, we want to create a new chapter in our relations," Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud told reporters after his meeting with the US delegation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at that time.