Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has invited the United States to invest in Bangladesh’s warehousing, soybean, cotton, wheat, agriculture, and other key sectors, saying such investments would help build a stronger and more competitive supply chain.

The invitation was made during a courtesy meeting with Sergio Gor, the U.S. Special Envoy for South and Central Asian Affairs, at the Prime Minister’s Office in Tejgaon on Saturday morning, according to Deputy Press Secretary Shahadat Shadhin.

During the meeting, Sergio Gor praised Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s leadership, stating that stability is returning to Bangladesh under his administration. As an indication of this progress, he noted that the United States had recently revised its travel advisory for Bangladesh in a positive direction.

Gor said the updated travel advisory would send an important signal to American investors that Bangladesh is ready for increased foreign investment.

The two sides also discussed the planned visit of a delegation from the U.S.-Bangladesh Business Council to Bangladesh next month.

According to the Deputy Press Secretary, the meeting also focused on expanding cooperation between Bangladesh and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Sergio Gor assured the Prime Minister that he would support efforts to resume FDA testing activities in Bangladesh.

The discussion further covered the potential for increased investment through the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC). Prime Minister Tarique Rahman urged the United States to continue expanding its investments in Bangladesh.

In response, the U.S. Special Envoy said Washington would work positively to strengthen DFC investment cooperation in Bangladesh. He also informed the Prime Minister that American investors in Dhaka are interested in organizing a U.S. Investors Summit in the near future and that he is personally working to facilitate the initiative.

The Prime Minister also highlighted Bangladesh’s strong interest in attracting greater investment in the information technology (IT) sector.

Responding to this, Gor said Bangladesh has significant potential in the IT industry and could become a future partner in the Pax Silica Initiative. He pledged to work toward advancing the partnership.

Rohingya Crisis Discussed

The Rohingya crisis was also a key topic during the meeting.

Sergio Gor shared his observations from his visit to the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar the previous day. He commended the Government and the people of Bangladesh for providing shelter and continued humanitarian assistance to the displaced Rohingya population.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman expressed gratitude to the U.S. government and people, noting that the United States contributes more than half of the international assistance provided for the Rohingya refugees.

Gor emphasized that the Rohingya crisis requires a swift, sustainable, and political solution, stressing the importance of coordinated efforts involving ASEAN neighboring countries and all relevant stakeholders.

The meeting was attended by Foreign Minister Dr. Khalilur Rahman, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam, the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir, advisers Mahdi Amin and Rehan Asif Asad, Bangladesh Ambassador to Washington Tarique Md. Ariful Islam, U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh Brent Christensen, and other senior officials.