US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Donald Lu, arrived in Dhaka this morning for a three-day visit. Having been vocal about internal matters of the Indian subcontinent, particularly Bangladesh, Donald Lu’s visit has renewed discussions on Bangladesh-US relations following a hiatus after the January 7 election.
Donald Lu is a familiar figure in our country, given his vocal stance during the last national election and his involvement in US discussions over sanctions against Bangladesh.
A tense situation prevailed in the diplomatic arena before the election surrounding the US warning of visa restrictions against anyone attempting to hamper a fair election. At that time, visits by several US officials, including Donald Lu, and the comments they made became topics of discussion in Bangladesh politics, leaving the government embarrassed, BNP optimistic, and common people uncertain.
The situation has improved, if not enough for relations to become warm, after the election, which was boycotted by the BNP and like-minded political parties. Although the US refrained from congratulating the new government formed by the Awami League under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina for the fourth consecutive time, they assured Bangladesh of cooperation. Awami League leaders, ministers, and even the prime minister no longer make harsh comments against the US.
But the situation was completely different before the election, with US Ambassador in Dhaka Peter Haas facing criticism for his activities centrng the election. Opposition parties, including the BNP, expected that the US would not recognize the new government, stop cooperation, and impose visa sanctions. But nothing happened. Peter Haas changed his approach after the election. The US diplomat attended the new cabinet’s oath-taking ceremony and made visits to various ministries afterward to address distrust, aiming to strengthen relations between the two countries.
In February this year, US President Joe Biden wrote to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, terming strong relationships between the people of the two nations as the foundation of the US-Bangladesh relationship. Biden also extended his support for Bangladesh’s ambitious development goals and expressed interest in working with Dhaka to materialize the common dream of establishing an open and free Indo-Pacific region.
To initiate the next level of US-Bangladesh partnership, Biden said, "I want to express my administration’s interest in working together with Dhaka on regional and global security, economic development, climate change and energy, universal health, humanitarian assistance, particularly on the Rohingya issue." Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also replied to Biden’s letter, initiating a thaw in relations.
Bangladesh is no longer a regular topic of US State Department briefings. Discussions on potential visa and labor policy sanctions have faded in recent months, making the BNP realize that excessive reliance on the US was a wrong approach.
Based on experiences during the election, the BNP is not showing much hype regarding Donald Lu’s Dhaka visit. The party’s Secretary-General, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, said, “We don’t have time to see who comes and who goes. The people of this country are the main strength of our party.” BNP Standing Committee Member Nazrul Islam Khan also echoed Fakhrul regarding Donald Lu’s Dhaka visit. He said the attacking behavior of extremist group Kuki-Chin, which the government has failed to control, is more important to us than the US Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu’s visit.
Donald Lu have come to Dhaka via Colombo, indicating the US’ interest in this region. He is scheduled to meet with Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud, Environment Minister Saber Hossain, Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen, and the Prime Minister's Private Sector Adviser Salman F Rahman. There is no schedule for any meeting with the BNP yet. It is all about diplomacy and the development of relations.
The topics mentioned in Biden’s letter for the next level of partnership are receiving priority in Donald Lu’s visit, and the government is dealing with them with importance. The absence of a political agenda makes it clear that Donald Lu’s visit is aimed at advancing the partnership.
There is a difference between Donald Lu’s visits before and after the election. The visit made before the election put the BNP on the side of optimists and the government on the opposite side. The situation is now reversed. Those who were optimists before are now upset, while the party in frustration is now optimistic in support of the true nature of international relations and diplomacy.
