‘Want Bangladesh to be a net security provider in the region’

The US wants Bangladesh to be a net security provider in the Indo-Pacific region as the country has made exponential progress since independence and demonstrated its capacity in helping the regional countries, said a US official.

It also wants to see Bangladesh as a prosperous country having the principles of democracy, good governance and human rights, which is why Washington has been speaking loudly on free elections and taken actions against Rab, he said.

Maxwell Martin, political officer at the US embassy in Dhaka, said this at a briefing on the Indo-Pacific Strategy (IPS) and implications for Bangladesh at the embassy yesterday as IPS has renewed focus in the region including South Asia.

Martin said the US supported Bangladesh Armed Forces with training, capacity building and equipment in countering terrorism. Bangladesh also made exponential progress, supporting Myanmar during the cyclones last year, responding positively in sheltering the Rohingya and its contribution to the UN peacekeeping is notable.

“You have seen us become more open and vocal about the political situation in Bangladesh. This is part of the IPS. We are also engaged in multiple fronts that include economy, security and politics.”

Martin said, “We thought our sanction against Rab was important for that unit to change their behavior in order for Bangladesh to uphold these principles.”

The US embassy in Dhaka now has a labor attaché and trade representative, which means it is helping Bangladesh improve labor conditions as well as support policies that help attract more foreign investments, he said.

He said the IPS, which was released in February 2022, is often wrongly understood as an alliance and meant to counter China.

China launched its global strategic program Belt and Road Initiative in 2013.

Martin said the IPS does not seek to become a military alliance against any country.

“Our vision is not about forcing countries to choose between the UN and other partners. It is about ensuring that the region is free and open so countries can freely make their own choices,” he said.

Martin recognized that Bangladesh maintains a balanced foreign policy, having relations with countries be it China, India, Russia or the US.