Brent Christensen appointed as new US ambassador to Bangladesh

The United States has announced its new ambassador to Bangladesh. A notice published on the White House website on September 2 states that experienced diplomat Brent Christensen from Virginia has been nominated as the US ambassador to Dhaka.

He is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service and holds the rank of Counselor. He will need formal approval from the US Senate before assuming his duties officially.

Christensen has prior experience working in Bangladesh. From 2019 to 2021, he served as Political and Economic Counselor at the US Embassy in Dhaka. Early in his career, he worked as Bangladesh Desk Officer in the State Department’s Pakistan and Bangladesh Affairs office.

His other appointments include Deputy Director, Office of Regional Security and Arms Transfers, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs at the Department of State (2016-2019), and as a Pearson Fellow on detail to the majority staff of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific (2015-2016).

He has also been Special Assistant to the Special Representative for North Korea Policy, Bureau of East Asia and Pacific Affairs Cyber Coordinator, Deputy Counselor for Economic Affairs at the US Embassy in Manila, Deputy Economic Counselor at the US Embassy in San Salvador, Economic Officer at the US Embassy in Riyadh, and Vice Consul at the US Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Since Peter Haas completed his term in the summer of 2024, the US ambassador post in Bangladesh has remained vacant, with several Chargé d’Affaires serving in succession. Currently, Lisa Jacobson holds this responsibility.