U.S. Relations With Bangladesh
More information about Bangladesh is available on the Bangladesh Page, U.S. Department of State publications, and other sources listed at the end of this fact sheet.
U.S.-BANGLADESH RELATIONS
The United States and Bangladesh cooperate closely on security issues, ranging from counterterrorism to peacekeeping. Our ties go beyond government-to-government – our people-to-people and commercial relationships complement and expand upon the work of our officials. Our annual partnership dialogue with Bangladesh is an opportunity to discuss issues we are tackling together. At the last dialogue, held in November of 2017 and chaired by former Under Secretary Thomas Shannon and Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque, we discussed regional and global matters of concern to both our countries. We discussed a range of important issues, including security in the Indian Ocean region, combatting transnational terrorist groups, and our approach to North Korea’s threat of nuclear war, in addition to the pressing Rohingya refugee crisis.
U.S. Assistance to Bangladesh
The United States has invested billions of dollars to improve the lives of Bangladeshis and Bangladesh is the largest recipient of U.S. assistance in Asia outside of Afghanistan and Pakistan. U.S. assistance fosters engagement with the Government of Bangladesh – helping to grow more food, build more roads, and train more skilled teachers, health care providers, and soldiers. The United States continues to build upon previous gains to reduce poverty, enhance food security, improve health and education, mitigate the impact of climate change and natural disasters, counter violent extremism, and achieve better governance to spur equitable and sustainable growth.
Bilateral Economic Relations
Bangladesh exported $5.7 billion worth of products, primarily apparel and textiles, to the United States in 2017, making the United States the single largest market for Bangladeshi goods in the world. In turn, U.S. exports to Bangladesh, which consisted largely of agricultural products (grains and cotton) and machinery, amounted to $1.4 billion, up 63 percent from the previous year, but still resulting in a U.S. trade deficit of $4.2 billion. The United States is also currently the largest source of foreign direct investment in Bangladesh. At the end of 2017, the United States accounted for 23 percent of the stock of foreign direct investment in Bangladesh. Chevron is the single largest foreign investor, producing some 55 percent of Bangladesh’s domestic natural gas. The U.S. government advocates on trade and investment issues primarily through annual talks led by the U.S. Trade Representative under the Trade and Investment Cooperation Framework Agreement (TICFA) signed in 2013. The most recent TICFA meeting was held in May 2017 in Dhaka. According to the Department of Commerce, U.S. exports of goods to Bangladesh supported an estimated 6,000 U.S. jobs in 2015.
Bangladesh's Membership in International Organizations
Bangladesh and the United States belong to a number of the same international organizations, including the United Nations, ASEAN Regional Forum, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organization.
Bilateral Representation
The U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh is Marcia Bernicat; other principal embassy officials are listed in the Department's Key Officers List.
Bangladesh maintains an embassy in the United States at 3510 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 (tel: 202-244-0183).
More information about Bangladesh is available from the Department of State and other sources, some of which are listed here:
Department of State Bangladesh Country Page
Department of State Key Officers List
CIA World Factbook Bangladesh Page
U.S. Embassy
USAID Bangladesh Page
History of U.S. Relations With Bangladesh
Human Rights Reports
International Religious Freedom Reports
Trafficking in Persons Reports
Narcotics Control Reports
Investment Climate Statements
Office of the U.S. Trade Representative Country Page
U.S. Census Bureau Foreign Trade Statistics
Export.gov International Offices Page
Library of Congress Country Studies
Travel Information