2 US State Department officials arrive today

Two senior officials of the US Department of State are arriving in Dhaka today to discuss with government high-ups, political leaders and other stakeholders on a variety of issues, including the upcoming general election in Bangladesh and the ongoing Rohingya crisis.

Diplomatic sources in Dhaka and Washington yesterday told The Daily Star that the government is considering the visit important, as they will discuss a host of bilateral, regional and international issues.

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary (PDAS) of State of Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Alice G Wells, and Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Carl Risch have different agendas during their visit.

According to a media note of the US Department of State, Alice Wells will travel to Dhaka and Cox's Bazar on October 20-23. In Dhaka, she will meet senior officials from the government to discuss strengthening the US-Bangladesh partnership and collaboration on ensuring a prosperous, secure, and interconnected Indo-Pacific region.

On October 21, PDAS Wells will travel to Cox's Bazar to visit refugee camps sheltering nearly one million Rohingyas. There she will meet officials from UN organisations, NGOs, and local government.

Alice is likely to call on the prime minister, foreign minister and foreign secretary. She is likely to have meetings with political figures, business leaders and civil society representatives to discuss US' engagement with Bangladesh, especially the upcoming general election.

Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Carl Risch will participate in a series of meetings with US diplomats and foreign government authorities. Risch will engage in bilateral discussions with Bangladeshi counterparts on consular issues.