Bangladesh NSA In Washington, Talking To Trump Officials. More Regional Shifts?

WASHINGTON D.C. (IANS)-  Bangladesh’s interim National Security Advisor Khalilur Rahman met with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau on June 18, just as former President Donald Trump hosted Pakistani Army Chief General Asim Munir at the White House—raising eyebrows in South Asia watchers’ circles.

Rahman, on an official visit to the U.S. from June 16 to 26, discussed the interim government’s preparations for national elections with Landau at the State Department. He is representing the administration headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, who has drawn controversy at home over alleged Western alignment and political overreach.

Further fueling speculation, reports claim Rahman recently met with the Chinese ambassador in Dhaka to seek help arranging a meeting with Pakistan’s intelligence chief, indicating potential triangulation in regional diplomatic maneuvering.

Landau, in a post on X, said: “Enjoyed meeting Bangladesh NSA Rahman today and [hearing] about the Interim Government’s efforts ahead of the national elections. We discussed the US-Bangladesh relationship, including expanding trade and commercial ties. The US is committed to working with Bangladesh to promote peace and stability in the region.”

The two also covered regional security, the Rohingya crisis, and U.S.-Bangladesh tariff talks. Rahman separately met Assistant U.S. Trade Representative Brendan Lynch to discuss a proposed reciprocal tariff agreement.

Rahman’s Washington meetings came amid mounting domestic pressure over his role in the proposed Rakhine Corridor—a supply route reportedly used to funnel Western-backed logistics through Bangladesh’s Teknaf region to Myanmar’s Rakhine State.

The opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has accused Rahman of facilitating foreign interests under the guise of humanitarian assistance, including alleged misuse of the Chittagong Port.

A former senior UN official, Rahman joined the UN Secretariat in 1991 and held influential roles in Geneva and New York, including as Chief of the LDCs Programme at UNCTAD and chair of an interagency group on trade barriers.