Bilateral Relations

The United States and Bangladesh share a vision for an inclusive, secure, and prosperous future. Our annual U.S.-Bangladesh Partnership Dialogue helps advance shared bilateral, regional, and global objectives and gives strategic direction to ongoing and future cooperative activities. The sixth U.S.-Bangladesh Partnership Dialogue meeting, held in Dhaka in November 2017, covered a wide variety of topics: democracy and governance, trade and investment, and security cooperation. The delegations worked to deepen cooperation on bilateral, regional and international priorities, including sustainable development, counterterrorism, migration, and climate change. The fifth dialogue took place in Washington, D.C. in 2016.

Bangladesh has made significant progress toward a more prosperous and pluralistic society since its independence in 1971. Bangladesh’s economy has grown at 6 percent annually for more than two decades. Since the tragic collapse of the Rana Plaza apparel factory in 2013, Bangladesh has made progress in transforming its garment sector. The United States remains actively engaged in efforts to strengthen respect for labor rights and improve workplace safety. Despite significant development achievements, poverty remains a challenge as do infrastructure shortcomings, weak governance structures, and the need for greater investment in human capital. Bangladesh’s high population density compounds these challenges. Extremist violence also presents a common challenge. The United States stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Bangladesh in our effort to defeat extremism.