Shawdesh Desk:

United States deputy assistant secretary of state for regional security at the bureau of political-military affairs, Mira Resnick, is likely to be in Dhaka next week to discuss issues of mutual interest.

She will likely arrive in Dhaka on September 4 as Bangladesh and the United States are taking preparations to hold the next round of security dialogue, a foreign ministry official told UNB.

Mira oversees the Bureau’s Office of Regional Security and Arms Transfers, which manages over $40 billion annually in government-to-government defense equipment transfers through Foreign Military Sales, Third Party Transfers, and Excess Defense Articles.

Mira is also responsible for the Bureau’s Office of Security Assistance, which manages approximately $6.5 billion in US security sector assistance annually; coordinates State Department oversight, planning, and input for over $9 billion in the Defense Department security sector assistance programs; and provides State Department input for Department of Defense planning and military activities.

The security dialogue covers a wide range of issues related to partnership between the two countries including strategic priorities and regional security issues, defense cooperation, civilian security cooperation, UN peacekeeping, counter-terrorism, and countering violent extremism.

Bangladesh is likely to reiterate its call to return Rashed Chowdhury, a convicted killer of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, to Bangladesh to face justice. The Rohingya issue may also come up for discussion as a threat in the regional and global contexts.

At the 8th Security Dialogue held between the two countries at US Department of State in April last year, the two sides had ‘constructive discussions’ on defence agreements like GSOMIA and ACSA as the US is keen to enhance security cooperation with Bangladesh.

General Security of Military Information Agreement and Acquisition and Cross Servicing Agreement are ‘essential’ to enable a closer defense relationship, expand opportunities for defense trade, information sharing, and military-to-military cooperation between the United States and Bangladesh. These issues are likely to come up for discussion as follow up, a diplomatic source told UNB.