US officials arrive to discuss polls, reforms, tariffs

Dhaka and Washington will discuss tariffs, the reforms undertaken by the interim government, democratic transition, and the Rohingya and Myanmar crises as two high officials of the US begin their engagement with Bangladesh officials and political actors today.

This is the first official visit by the US officials under the Trump administration, which is making drastic policy changes in both trade and diplomatic fronts that have caught global economies off guard.

Nicole Chulick, deputy assistant secretary at the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs (SCA), arrived in Dhaka yesterday, while Andrew R Herrup, deputy assistant secretary at the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, is scheduled to arrive today, The Daily Star has learnt from people involved with the proceedings.

US Chargé d'Affaires to Myanmar Susan Stevenson will accompany Herrup during his visit to Bangladesh, highlighting the importance of the Myanmar crisis.

The visit comes amid a clear shift in US foreign policy. The previous Biden administration prioritised democracy and human rights -- issues that hold less significance for current administration led US President Donald Trump.

The visit takes place at a time when there seems to be a sharp shift in policy from that of the Biden administration.

The focus of the Biden administration's foreign policy was democracy and human rights, issues that seem to be not so important to the current US President Donald Trump.

Trump is more transactional, said foreign policy experts.

Trump imposed high tariffs on the countries exporting to the US, including Bangladesh. Concerned by the fresh 37 percent tariff for Bangladeshi products, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus wrote to Trump requesting the suspension of tariffs for 90 days and committing to import more from the US.

On April 10, Trump, however, suspended the new tariffs, except for those on China, for 90 days.

Meanwhile, the US Trade Representative and Bangladesh's commerce ministry held a virtual meeting last week, during which the US side wanted to know what actions Bangladesh would be taking.

"From Bangladesh side, our priorities will be a reduction in tariffs, support for the interim government reforms and elections, funding for the Rohingya plus their repatriation at the earliest," a foreign ministry official told The Daily Star.

Bangladesh has already unilaterally reduced tariffs to zero on 190 US products and offered zero tariffs for 100 more products to reduce the trade imbalance.

Also, Bangladesh can import more US products, including cotton and soybean.

In 2024, Bangladesh's exports to the US were $8.4 billion, and imports were $2.2 billion.

On the first day, the US diplomats are expected to meet major political parties, including the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami and the newly-formed National Citizens' Party (NCP).

Tomorrow, the delegation is scheduled to call on Foreign Adviser Touhid Hossain and National Security Adviser and Chief Adviser's High Representatives on Rohingya and Other Priority Issues Khalilur Rahman.

The delegation is also likely to call on Yunus.

"It is not yet finalised," a diplomatic source said.

During the interactions, Chulick will focus on reforms and democratic transition, the source said.

"Everybody is curious about the elections in Bangladesh. So, definitely, the interim government wants support from all and keep them on board as it reforms and goes for elections," the diplomatic source added.

On the other hand, Herrup will be focused on the Rohingya crisis, funding and the Myanmar crisis.

Bangladesh has been sheltering 1.2 million Rohingyas, most of whom faced military atrocities in Myanmar in 2017.

Despite funding cuts globally, the Trump administration, on March 28, announced $73 million in new financial aid for Rohingya. The US is the largest provider of aid to the Rohingyas, contributing nearly $2.4 billion since 2017.

"With global funding shortages, we will be seeking funding from the US. At the same time, we will also seek US support for the Rohingya repatriation at the soonest possible time," said another diplomatic source.

Myanmar, which has been roiled in a civil war since the military coup in 2021, is now trying to recover from the devastation of a 7.7 magnitude earthquake.

The Arakan Army now controls around 80 percent of Myanmar's Rakhine State, which is facing a humanitarian crisis. Additionally, rampant drug and arms trafficking, along with kidnapping and human trafficking, are fuelling regional security concerns.

"All these issues may come up during the discussion," the source said.