US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka on Tuesday. Lu will conclude his tri-nation tour of the South Asian region (May 10-15) in Bangladesh. Earlier, he visited India and on Monday he was in Sri lanka.

According to the US Department of State, In Bangladesh, Lu will discuss trade and investment, security, climate change, citizens’ rights and other prioritised issues with Bangladesh government officials and other non-government stakeholders.

His trip will strengthen bilateral cooperation with each country and demonstrate US support for a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region, said the US Department State.

Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud told the media on Monday that issues like sanctions and visa restrictions will come up during the discussions with the visiting US diplomat. The foreign minister made the remarks while responding to a question of a journalist on the upcoming visit of Donald Lu.

On 22 September, 2023, The Department of State of US imposed visa restrictions on Bangladeshi individuals responsible for, or complicit in, undermining the democratic election process in Bangladesh. These individuals include members of law enforcement, the ruling party, and the political opposition.

This is his first visit as a senior official of the US state department since the 12th parliamentary election of Bangladesh on 7 January.

Navalsang Parmar (Dhaka)