Ties between BD, Americans deeper: Blinken

Diplomatic Correspondent: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said the ties between Bangladeshis and Americans grow deeper and more intertwined with every generation as the two countries celebrate five decades of friendship.
“I look forward to seeing what our people will build together in the decades ahead as we continue to follow that star of freedom,” he said in a video message celebrating five decades of diplomatic ties between Bangladesh and the United States.
Secretary Blinken thanked Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen and Bangladesh Ambassador to the US M Shahidul Islam “for being the latest stewards of this crucial” relationship.
50 years later, Secretary Blinken said the two countries collaborate virtually on every issue that matters to their people.
He said the two countries have forged partnership to improve public health, strengthening local health systems, bringing down maternal mortality in Bangladesh by two thirds over the last two decades and fighting Covid-19 with 61 million doses of safe, effective vaccines provided by the United States to Bangladeshis.
In 2021, Secretary Blinken said, the US bought more Bangladeshi products than any other country did, representing some US$ 8.3 billion. “We encourage Bangladesh to make progress on workers’ rights to deepen our robust economic partnership.”
He mentioned about joint efforts in tackling clime crisis, Bangladesh’s contributions to peacekeeping and Rohingya crisis noting that the Rohingyas have fled genocide and crimes against humanity committed by the military in Myanmar.
“We commend Bangladesh for hosting nearly 1 million refugees and for continuing to offer support for those efforts as we have since the crisis started,” Secretary Blinken said.
He also recalled Bangladeshis’ tremendous contributions to the US for generations.

The United States recognized Bangladesh on April 4, 1972, in a press statement from Secretary of State William Rogers.

In addition, Herbert Spivack, the principal U.S. officer in Dhaka, delivered a message from President Richard Nixon to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman informing him that the United States government wished to establish diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level.