During his meeting with visiting U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Paul Kapur today, Foreign Minister Dr. Khalilur Rahman stated that the United States was taken aback by the peaceful and joyous conduct of Bangladesh’s 13th general election.
Rahman told reporters during the discussion at the foreign ministry that Paul Kapur, the visiting U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, said the election had been more celebratory and peaceful than Washington had anticipated.
“He recalled that during my visit to Washington I had said we wanted to make the election festive. At that time they wondered whether it would really happen that way. Later they saw that it indeed turned into a festive election,” the foreign minister said.
Rahman added that the U.S. ambassador to Bangladesh, who was present at the meeting, shared similar observations, saying that at some polling centres the atmosphere resembled a fair.
The foreign minister said the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), under the leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, secured a landslide victory in the election.
Additionally, he claimed that the prime minister received congratulations from the US administration and that Tarique Rahman had already received a congratulations letter from US President Donald Trump after the results.
Rahman claimed to have informed Kapur on the government’s “Bangladesh First” policy, emphasizing Dhaka’s approach of upholding solid ties with regional and international partners in order to promote shared prosperity and national objectives.
In reference to the ongoing violence in the Middle East, the foreign minister stated that two Bangladeshi nationals had already died and called for an early diplomatic resolution to reduce losses and stop additional instability in the region.
Responding to questions on defence cooperation, Rahman said defence issues did not come up for discussion during the meeting, adding that the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) and the Acquisition Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA) were not mentioned.
According to a foreign ministry statement, the meeting reaffirmed both countries’ commitment to further strengthening Bangladesh–United States bilateral relations, particularly in economic engagement, based on mutual respect and shared interests.
Kapur congratulated the new government following what he described as a peaceful, free and festive general election and expressed confidence that bilateral relations would continue to grow stronger.
He also underscored the importance of implementing the provisions of the Reciprocal Trade Agreement to enhance bilateral trade and investment.
The discussions also covered the Rohingya issue, with the foreign minister thanking the United States for its continued humanitarian support and seeking sustained international efforts for a durable solution to the crisis.
Both sides expressed optimism that regular high-level engagements and institutional dialogues would further deepen Bangladesh–U.S. relations in the coming years.
Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam and U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh Brent T. Christensen were present at the meeting.
Earlier, Kapur held a brief meeting with State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam.
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