US Assistant Secretary Sison in Dhaka: Expectations and Prospects

US Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs Michele J. Sison is visiting Bangladesh


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US Assistant Secretary Sison in Dhaka: Expectations and Prospects


US Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs Michele J. Sison is visiting Bangladesh on a two-day visit- as part of her tri-nation visit (India, Bangladesh, and Kuwait) from August 2-10. During her visit, the Assistant Secretary will have consultations regarding US multilateral priorities i.e., fighting food insecurity, advancing global health, addressing human rights and humanitarian needs in the region,deepening cooperation at the United Nations, UN peacekeeping and peacebuilding, achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, and US’s support for the protracted Rohingya refugeecrisis.

For Dhaka-Washington bilateral ties, this visit will be a follow-up and an opportunity to expand the discussion the two countries had over the last couple of months.

 

Strengthening Bilateral Ties

In the face of the Ukraine-Russia war and renewed Sino-US rivalry in the Indo-Pacific region, the role of emerging middle powers like Bangladesh has become significant in world politics – stimulating their merit to the existing great powers. On the other hand, the vulnerable world order has also caused economic and political instability in most developing countries – prompting the need for robust support from big powers. As a result, both Dhaka and Washington need close relations with each other to foster their common goals.

On April 4 this year, Bangladesh and the United States celebrated their 50 years of bilateral relations. The celebration marked a number of high-level diplomatic exchanges and a manifestation of willingness to build a new framework of bilateral ties based on mutual interests.

So, this week’s visit of Ambassador Sison at such a crucial time will convey significant value for strengthening the US-Bangladesh bilateral relations. Particularly for Dhaka, Sison’svisit carries several expectations including the US’s support for the repatriation process of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar, discussion on the withdrawal of sanctions on RAB, and deepening economic ties in the face of global inflation – all of which it wants to be addressed and get acknowledged by Washington.

 

Support for Rohingya Repatriation

This month, the Rohingya people will mark five years since the ethnic cleansing operation against them by the Myanmar military – prompting the mass exodus of the ethnic community to Bangladesh. Though a significant time has gone by, there is still no hope for almost one million Rohingyas – sheltering in Cox’s Bazar district of BangladeshThough the safe repatriation of the Rohingyas to Myanmar is the most feasible option for ensuring a durable solution, numerous initiatives have failed due to the lack of willingness from Myanmar. Thus, the fate of the Rohingya people is in a state of limbo.

However, from the beginning, the United States has provided unwavering support for the displaced Rohingya community. For instance, the US has been the largest aid donor country and it has recognized the Myanmar military’s crime against the Rohingya people as “genocide”. The US has also delivereddiplomatic support for the Rohingya issue on multiple platforms– uplifting the issue on the global agenda. But to ensure the most durable solution i.e., safe repatriation of the Rohingya people to the Rakhine state of Myanmar, the US can do more by amalgamating its allies and using multiple channels to pressurize Myanmar.

Therefore, as one of the topmost priorities of Dhaka, the Rohingya issue will surely be on the agenda, during the visit ofthe US Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs Michele J. Sison, to get US’s reassurance and commitment to ensure a durable solution to the crisis.

 

Withdrawal of Sanctions on RAB

For Dhaka, US sanctions against the Bangladeshi elite force (RAB) and its top officials remain a thorny issue. Despite the colossal push from Dhaka, there has been little response from Washington on this issue. In the last couple of months too, Dhaka has not received any positive signs of withdrawing the sanctions – prompting the idea that the US has no intention of lifting the sanctions anytime soon. However, the Bangladesh government has continued its effort to reach an understanding as it remains a key concern for the current regime. Therefore, it’s very much likely that Dhaka will raise the issue with utmost priority during the discussion with Ambassador Sison on bilateral issues.

 

Addressing the Looming Economic Complexities

Because of the Ukraine-Russia war, the global inflation rate has mounted severely. Like other countries around the world, it has hit hard on Bangladesh’s economy. The foreign reserve of Bangladesh has decreased over the last few months and there’s also a possibility of energy shortages. Thus, Bangladesh has already consulted the IMF for a loan as a preemptive action to safeguard its economy.

In this prospect, the US can support Bangladesh with a number of initiatives including the restoration of Generalized System of Preference (GSP) facilities for Bangladeshi RMG products in the USA and helping Bangladesh to tackle the imminent economic difficulties – hence bolstering the bilateral ties between Dhaka and Washington. So, in addition to multilateral and institutional discussions, Dhaka will likely concentrate on its ongoing economic concerns and put these issues of higher importance on the discussion table during the visit of the US official.

Moreover, the visit by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and the visit of US Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs Michele J. Sison to Bangladesh in the same week will put Dhaka in back-to-back high level of diplomatic engagement – assessing Dhaka’s capability of strategic balance.

In a nutshell, the visit of top US official Sison will boost Dhaka-Washington relations – providing an opportunity for further engagement over the mutual interest areas. For Dhaka, it will provide the prospect to discuss and raise its expectations and concerns. As a former US Ambassador to both Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Sison is meant to understand the eco-political issues of South Asia i.e., Bangladesh – given the analogous nature of the region. Thus, her visit is set to be a reassurance of Washington’s enduring commitment to Dhaka – pledging mutual trust and strengthening bilateral relations.


By; Kazi Fahim Ahmed

 

Kazi Fahim Ahmed, is currently working as a Research Intern at the East Asia Study Center, University of Dhaka. He has studied at the Department of International Relations, University of Dhaka.

 

His interest area consists of South and Southeast Asian Geopolitics, US Foreign Policy, Great Power Rivalry, and Indo-Pacific Region. Some of his recent articles have been published in Australian Outlook, The London Globalist, Modern Diplomacy, and The Daily Observer.


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