Washington Deepens Engagement with Dhaka Amid Rohingya Stalemate

In a significant high-level diplomatic engagement, Bangladesh’s National Security Adviser, Dr Khalilur Rahman, held talks with United States Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau at the State Department in Washington, DC, on Wednesday 19 June 2025. The dialogue centred around a constellation of pressing issues: the protracted Rohingya refugee crisis, tariff negotiations, regional developments in South Asia, and Bangladesh’s democratic transition under the caretaker leadership of Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus. The meeting, taking place amidst shifting geopolitical dynamics in the Indo-Pacific and mounting humanitarian concerns in the Bay of Bengal region, underscores a recalibrated push by Washington to maintain stable relations with a strategically vital South Asian partner. Notably, the Deputy Secretary commended Professor Yunus’ stewardship during a critical political phase in Bangladesh and reaffirmed continued American support for the country’s democratic and economic resilience. Rohingya Issue: A Possible Diplomatic Reopening? According to sources familiar with the discussion, the