US Special Envoy Sergio Gor meets Bangladesh PM Tarique Rahman, discusses bilateral ties, trade, regional cooperation
Dhaka; August 1
Visiting US Special Envoy for South and Central Asian Affairs Sergio Gor paid a courtesy call on Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
The meeting took place this morning, Saturday, at the Prime Minister's Office in Tejgaon, Dhaka.
"During the meeting, views were exchanged on various issues of mutual interest, including bilateral relations between Bangladesh and the United States, the expansion of trade and investment, and regional cooperation," the Bangladesh Prime Minister's office said in a statement.
Earlier, Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi on Friday met visiting US Special Envoy for South and Central Asia Sergio Gor and discussed issues of mutual interest, local media reported.
"The meeting was held at a city hotel in the morning. I can only tell you it was a good meeting," a diplomatic source on the US side told UNB.
It could not be learned what they exactly discussed during the meeting.
On June 25, Gor wished High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi all the very best as he assumed his "important role" as India's new High Commissioner to Bangladesh.
"As the U.S. Special Envoy for South and Central Asia, I look forward to working closely with him," Gor said on June 25.
Highlighting the meetig, Gor wrote in a post on X, "Today I called on the Honorable Prime Minister @trahmanbnp to discuss the great opportunities between the U.S. and Bangladesh to strengthen economic cooperation and enhance our partnership. This is a priority for the United States, and working together we can achieve real results!"
The US Special Envoy met Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman on Thursday evening and visited the Rohingya camp in Cox's Bazar on Friday.
Additionally, the United States on Thursday updated its travel advisory for Bangladesh following the US Special Envoy to South and Central Asia Sergio Gor's first visit to Bangladesh.
The Overall Travel Advisory has been changed from Level 3 (Reconsider Travel) to Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution), which reflects that Bangladesh is safer for travel, the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The improvement in the Travel Advisory reflects growing US confidence in Bangladesh's overall security environment and stability. Over the past six months, under the leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, the present government has achieved visible progress in strengthening law and order across the country.
The decision also underscores the positive trajectory of the longstanding partnership between Bangladesh and the United States, the statement said.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Interesting that our High Commissioner met with him separately before this PM meeting. India-Bangladesh relations are deep, but the US trying to expand its footprint in South Asia is something we need to watch carefully. Not saying it's bad, but we should ensure our vital interests in the region are protected. 🤔
The fact that they discussed trade and investment is welcome news. But I hope our government is also pushing for better treatment of minorities in Bangladesh, especially Hindus. Regional cooperation should also include resolving the Teesta water sharing issue, which matters a lot to West Bengal farmers.
As someone who tracks South Asian geopolitics, this visit seems well-timed. The US clearly wants to re-engage in the region, and Bangladesh's improving security situation helps. India should see this as an opportunity rather than a threat—closer US-Bangladesh ties could even complement trilateral cooperation on things like Indo-Pacific security and trade routes.
Travel advisory upgrade is a big deal. This reflects positively on the current Bangladesh government's efforts to improve law and order. For Indians traveling to Bangladesh for business or pilgrimage, this makes things easier. Hope this leads to more cultural and people-to-people exchanges between our countries. 🇮🇳🇧🇩
While this is positive, I think India needs to be more proactive in strengthening its own ties with Bangladesh rather than just reacting to US moves. We share a 4,000+ km border and have so much more at stake. Trade, connectivity, river waters, security—these should be our priority discussions with Dhaka, not just courtesy meetings with visiting US envo
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.