On her first trip to Bangladesh, Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Judith McHale met with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka and discussed “the need for increasing people-to-people contact as one of the ways to further strengthen the existing bilateral relations between the two countries,” the Bangladesh Awami League reported.

In remarks delivered at Dhaka University, McHale noted that “people-to-people connections are crucial to promoting mutual understanding and trust”:

“Over the past few decades, thousands of Bangladeshis have experienced firsthand American hospitality. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman went to the U.S. under our International Visitor program. Dr. Mohammad Yunus studied in the U.S. on a Fulbright scholarship. Countless others across many disciplines are now using their experiences in the U.S. to lead Bangladesh into the future.

“Hundreds of children and teachers from madrassas have improved their English through our Access English Microscholarship program and English teacher initiatives.“

During her visit, McHale also “disclosed that there would be an entrepreneur summit in April this year in Washington, bringing young entrepreneurs from the Muslim world to create new access to business, while in March there would be a meeting of religious leaders in the U.S. capital,” the Financial Express reported.