Ties with Bangladesh 'Deep and Strong', Mahdi Amin Tells Seminar, Pointing to New Energy and Trade Opportunities

Bangladesh's relationship with the United States is extremely deep and strong, Prime Minister's Adviser Mahdi Amin has said. Speaking as chief guest at a seminar held at a hotel in the capital on Thursday afternoon (5 November), he said the relationship is not limited to people-to-people contact but has reached a new height as a development partnership.

The seminar, organised by the US Embassy in Dhaka and the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham), was titled 'Powering Bangladesh's Next Growth Chapter: A Pathway to Energy Security and Stability'.

Mahdi Amin said the relationship between the two countries has grown firm on the basis of education, tourism and close people-to-people contact. In his words, expatriate Bangladeshis are working as a strong bridge between the two countries, connecting the aspirations of the country's young generation with America's multidimensional way of life.

Noting that more than 50 US companies have now invested directly in Bangladesh, he said that by maintaining policy continuity and a business-friendly environment, the current democratic government is working to increase exports in promising sectors such as leather, processed food and agricultural products alongside ready-made garments. Demand for imports of US products is also rising in the same way.

Beyond trade and investment, he also mentioned successful partnerships in the energy sector with US companies such as Chevron and Excelerate Energy. Mahdi Amin said the current government is planning gas and coal exploration on a wider scale, which will create open new investment opportunities for US companies.

He said that, in line with the vision of the elected democratic government led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, public-welfare initiatives such as the Family Card and Farmers Card have been taken to deliver economic benefits to marginal people at the grassroots. He also noted that the capacity of international institutions such as Mastercard or Visa can be used in these programmes.

The adviser also said discussions are under way to expand the scope of higher education and scholarships for Bangladeshi students at top US universities.

Referring to the very cordial and deep relationship between the Prime Minister and the US President during the UN General Assembly session, Mahdi Amin said the new government elected by the people's vote will take all-out initiatives in the coming days to take bilateral relations with the United States to a new dimension.

The keynote paper at the seminar was presented by Ms Xu Xiang, President and Managing Director of Chevron Bangladesh. In a panel discussion moderated by Dr M. Masrur Reaz, Chairman of Policy Exchange Bangladesh, participants included Sartaj Bhuiyan, GM for Asia at GE Vernova; Md. Habibur Rahman Bhuiyan, Country Manager of Excelerate Energy; Aamir Alihussain, Managing Director of BSRM Group; and Professor Dr Ijaz Hossain, former Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at BUET.

After the seminar, Adviser Mahdi Amin visited various stalls of the '30th US Trade Show 2026'.