US and Bangladesh Rebuild Ties Through Diplomacy

In a development with deep strategic implications, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a direct phone call with Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus on 30 June 2025. The 15-minute exchange, described as “warm, cordial and constructive,” signalled a significant recalibration of U.S. policy toward Bangladesh and marked a potential turning point in bilateral relations. The conversation, the most senior engagement since the Yunus-led technocratic interim government came to power earlier this year covered issues ranging from trade and governance to regional security and humanitarian cooperation. Defence and foreign policy observers are interpreting the dialogue as a clear sign of U.S. alignment with Bangladesh’s new political direction and its broader role in the Indo-Pacific. Strategic Diplomacy: A Quiet Endorsement The direct communication between Secretary Rubio and Chief Adviser Yunus amounts to an unspoken diplomatic endorsement of Bangladesh’s transitional leadership. It comes amid growing Western appreciation for the reformist trajectory