Retired diplomat Tracy Ann Jacobson, will serve as the US chargé d'affaires in Dhaka, said diplomatic sources.
President Joe Biden's nomination of David Meale as the successor to Peter Haas for the position of US ambassador to Bangladesh has been rescinded due to the Senate not proceeding with the nomination hearing.
Consequently, David Meale will not be arriving in Dhaka.
Jacobson’s appointment is primarily intended to oversee transitional responsibilities in Bangladesh, particularly in relation to the nation's reform processes and democratic transition, reports the Prothom Alo.
Officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have said the US Embassy in Dhaka has conveyed that Jacobson will remain in charge until a new ambassador takes over.
Jacobson is expected to assume her duties in Dhaka next week, provided all arrangements proceed smoothly.
Prior to taking up her role, Jacobson met with Bangladeshi Ambassador to the United States Asad Alam Siam in Washington on Wednesday to acquaint herself with the current situation in Bangladesh.
Diplomatic analysts have opined that Jacobson’s deployment to Dhaka reflects a strategic decision, considering the evolving circumstances in Bangladesh as well as neighbouring Myanmar.
Jacobson, a professional diplomat with a postgraduate degree from Johns Hopkins University, has previously served as the US ambassador to Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Kosovo.
Her extensive diplomatic career also includes assignments in Russia, Ethiopia, South Korea, and Latvia.
Before retiring from diplomacy in 2017, she served as the deputy executive secretary at the United States National Security Council.
In 2021, President Biden recalled her to the Department of State as a senior advisor.
That same year, she was appointed director of the Department of State's Afghanistan-related Task Force and subsequently served as Acting US ambassador to Ethiopia for one and a half years.
Biden later nominated her as the next US ambassador to Iraq.
Although her nomination was heard in the Senate in June last year, the appointment remained pending.
