Two senior deputy assistant secretaries from the United States are set to arrive in Dhaka on 16 April for a three-day official visit—marking the first bilateral engagement with Bangladesh under the new Trump administration.
Nicole Chulick, deputy assistant secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs, is expected to land in Dhaka early on Wednesday morning, followed later in the day by Andrew Herrup, deputy assistant secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs.
Herrup will be accompanied by Susan Stevenson, the current chargé d'affaires at the US Embassy in Myanmar.
The visit signals Washington's renewed interest in South and Southeast Asia, with a broad agenda covering democratic reforms, regional security, counter-tariff measures introduced by the Trump administration, and the ongoing Rohingya humanitarian crisis.
On the first day of the visit, the US officials will hold internal briefings with embassy staff to assess the political and social climate in Bangladesh.
This will be followed by meetings with leaders from various political parties, including the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami, as well as representatives of civil society.
On Thursday (17 April), Chulick and Herrup will meet Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain, National Security Adviser Khairul Rahman, and other senior government officials.
The focus will centre on the reform process and how the United States can support Bangladesh’s democratic transition.
Chulick is expected to hold in-depth discussions with interim government officials on the scope and nature of reforms, particularly regarding electoral and institutional transparency.
She will also engage with opposition figures and civil society leaders.
Meanwhile, Herrup’s agenda will lean heavily on the evolving crisis in neighbouring Myanmar.
With large parts of the country reportedly beyond the control of the ruling junta and the region plagued by drug trafficking, arms smuggling, kidnappings, and human trafficking—including women and children—his talks are expected to focus on regional instability and the enduring plight of Rohingya refugees.
Dhaka's delicate balancing act between domestic reform and regional turbulence is likely to draw close scrutiny as the US recalibrates its policy under the Trump presidency.
