Washington, DC - As part of the continuing U.S.-Bangladesh Partnership Dialogue, Under Secretary for Political Affairs Thomas Shannon met with Bangladeshi Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque today in Dhaka, where they discussed further strengthening the U.S.-Bangladesh political, economic and energy partnership, counterterrorism cooperation, the nuclear threat from North Korea, and U.S. assistance for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. The United States recognized Bangladesh’s central role in maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific.

During the meeting, Under Secretary Shannon thanked the government of Bangladesh for its generosity in responding to the refugees fleeing Burma’s Rakhine State, and expressed appreciation for its continued efforts to ensure assistance reaches the affected population. He noted that we call on Bangladeshi and Burmese officials to continue developing a framework for the safe and voluntary return of Rohingya communities to Burma and that we urge rapid and complete implementation of the Annan Commission’s recommendations.