Washington will be beside Dhaka

The United States said it will remain beside Bangladesh in the ongoing fight against violent extremism and terrorism.

"The American people have long been with Bangladesh. And, today, I'm here to underscore that we'll remain by your side," said Nisha Desai Biswal, US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, while addressing a function at Bangladesh Embassy in Washington, DC on Tuesday, marking Bangladesh's Independence Day.

Biswal said when working side by side the people of the two nations can solve any problem.

"We'll be there in the long struggle against the effects of climate change," she added.

She said the US will be there in support of freedom of speech, religion, and an honest and fair election in Bangladesh, as democracy lives in the DNA of both of the nations.

In the past few decades, Biswal said, Bangladesh has developed from a food importer to a food exporter. "Its homegrown organisations like Brac and Grameen Bank are showing all how to follow Bangladesh's impressive development model."

"The United States is a proud partner of Bangladesh in many of its successes…Our USAID mission in Dhaka invests nearly 200 million dollars every year to help Bangladeshis live healthier, longer, more productive lives," she said.

No other country buys more of Bangladesh's products than the United States, every year Americans purchase more than 5 billion dollars' worth of goods made in Bangladesh, Biswal said.

Bangladesh Ambassador M Ziauddin, Ambassador Peter Selfridge, Assistant Secretary Ann Richards, and Peter Lavoy, former ambassadors, including ambassadors Tezzie and Howie Schaffer, Dan Mozena, and James Moriarty were present.