Bangladesh and the United States will discuss security cooperation and “strategic priorities” at the fifth round of security dialogue between the two countries in Dhaka today, reports UNB.
Additional Foreign Secretary (Bilateral & Consular) Kamrul Ahsan will lead the Bangladesh side while Deputy Assistant Secretary for Regional Security and Security Assistance, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, William GP Monahan will lead the US side.
Both sides are likely to discuss new areas of cooperation in the Bangladesh-US dialogue on security issues apart from reviewing the existing assistance, officials said.
During his recent Dhaka visit, US Secretary of State John Kerry talked about security relationship between Dhaka and Washington and said there is much they can do to cooperate in this regard.
“I’m confident that our assistance to Bangladesh will increasingly be designed to help the government address terrorism threats from domestic and transnational organisations,” he told reporters here on August 29.
Sources said the US along with Bangladesh wants to build additional capacity and the US thinks it will be effective though Bangladesh is looking for “need-based” supports. The dialogue will focus on a regional issues, security assistance in required areas, cyber security, peacekeeping, military-to-military cooperation and counter-terrorism, said an official.
The two sides will also discuss humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, maritime and border security and related issues.
The dialogue will reflect on growing defence relationship between the two countries and their shared commitment to peace and prosperity in the region. The fourth annual dialogue was held in Washington on September 11, 2015.