Brent Christensen sworn in as new US ambassador to Bangladesh

Brent Christensen has been sworn in as the new Ambassador of the United States to Bangladesh, the US Embassy in Dhaka said on Saturday.

The swearing-in ceremony was held at the US State Department on Friday (January 9) local time. Following the ceremony, Christensen expressed enthusiasm about returning to Bangladesh, describing it as a country he knows well.

“I am thrilled to return to Bangladesh. I look forward to leading the outstanding team at Embassy Dhaka—both Americans and locally employed staff—to strengthen U.S.-Bangladesh relations, advance President Trump’s agenda, and work every day to make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous,” he said.

In a statement, the US Embassy in Dhaka said it was pleased to welcome Christensen as the newly sworn-in ambassador, expressing confidence in his leadership to further bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

Brent Christensen, nominated by the Donald Trump administration, is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka on January 12 and will assume office as the 18th US ambassador to Bangladesh.

According to the US State Department website, Christensen is a senior career official in the US Foreign Service. He previously served at the US Embassy in Dhaka as Counselor for Political and Economic Affairs from 2019 to 2021.

The outgoing US ambassador, Peter Haas, served as the 17th ambassador to Bangladesh. His tenure in Dhaka spanned from March 2022 to April 2024.