US deputy assistant secretary due next week

Mira Resnick, US deputy assistant secretary of state for regional security at the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, is likely to visit Dhaka next week to discuss issues of mutual interest.

She will likely arrive in Dhaka on September 4, as both the countries are preparing to hold the next round of security dialogue, said a foreign ministry official.

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

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

The security dialogue covers a wide range of bilateral issues, including strategic priorities and regional security, 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 in the regional and global contexts.

The two sides previously had "constructive discussions" on defence agreements -- such as GSOMIA and ACSA -- at the 8th Security Dialogue held between the two nations at the US Department of State in April last year

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 two nations. These issues are likely to come up for discussion as follow up, said a diplomatic source.