Bangladesh has no secret agreement with the US: FM

Bangladesh has no secret agreement with the US and there is no obligation to import energy, said Foreign Minister Dr. Khalilur Rahman.

He said this in response to questions from reporters after a meeting with the Prime Minister at the Secretariat on Sunday (April 5).

The Foreign Minister (FM) said that the recent meeting discussed the mutual relations between Bangladesh and the US—especially energy, trade and development cooperation. In addition, the issue of continuing US assistance to deal with the Rohingya crisis also gained importance.

He said that the US is still the world's largest donor to the Rohingya and their assistance will continue in the future.

Regarding cooperation in the energy sector, he said that he had discussions with high-level officials of the US Department of Energy. Although some issues cannot be disclosed for diplomatic reasons, the US has assured that it will cooperate in ensuring Bangladesh's energy security.

Responding to a question about the role of the US in dealing with the country's energy crisis, he said that the government is trying to import energy from various sources and oil will be purchased from the most affordable source. In this case, India, the Middle East and the United States - all options have been kept open.

He said, we do not have any secret agreements with the United States. The agreements that have been made are public.

The Foreign Minister said, the idea that Bangladesh has to take permission to import oil from the United States is completely baseless. There may be some limitations due to international sanctions in the import of oil from Russia, which is part of global policy - Bangladesh has no bilateral agreement with the United States.

Regarding the Prime Minister's possible foreign visit, he said, the matter is still at an early stage and no specific country has been finalized.

Finally, he said, the government's goal is to maintain normal energy supply and ensure the country's energy security. For this, the initiative to procure energy from the most competitive and affordable sources in the global market will continue.