Mozena for exploring new avenues of US-Bangladesh relations

DHAKA, Nov 18, 2012 (BSS) - US ambassador Dan Mozena today said Bangladesh should explore new avenues of relationship with the United States considering its strong presence in bilateral economic and development partnership for the country.

He said America is Bangladesh's largest single export market, largest foreign investor, third largest source of remittances, and second largest bilateral development partner.

"I will leave it to my Bangladeshi friends to explore this dimension further," Mozena said while addressing a seminar on "Bangladesh- US relationship" in city's BRAC University.

The ambassador said the past 12 months have witnessed amazing strides in deepening an already close and productive bilateral relationship of the two countries.

Mentioning Secretary Clinton's visit to Bangladesh in May, Mozena said that she came here to celebrate the richness and success of America's partnership with Bangladesh.

"Clinton came to institutionalize this partnership so it would endure long after her own departure from office," he added.

Mozena said: "I am often asked why I am so optimistic about the future of Bangladesh and if I had to answer that question with only a single word, and that word would be "entrepreneurship"."

"I can say with some authority as I have already visited about half of the country's 64 districts. Bangladesh and its people have an entrepreneurial spirit like no other country that I know," he said.

He said Bangladeshi entrepreneurship in the RMG and household textile sectors is already well known. "I think that within one generation, Bangladesh has become the world's second largest exporter of RMG and household textiles, and, in my view, should become the largest exporter in both."