The Bangladesh ambassador to Washington DC post has been vacant since Asad Alam Siam became foreign secretary

Dhaka: Ambassador Tareq Md Ariful Islam, who served as the permanent representative of Bangladesh to the UN Offices in Geneva, is going to be Bangladesh’s next ambassador to the United States. The post of Bangladesh ambassador to Washington DC has remained vacant for months since Ambassador Asad Alam Siam was appointed foreign secretary.

A senior official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told on Wednesday that Ambassador Tareq has moved out of Geneva to Washington DC. Tareq served as Bangladesh envoy to Sri Lanka before his appointment as Bangladesh envoy to the UN offices in Geneva in June 2024, succeeding Ambassador Mohammad Sufiur Rahman in this capacity. Ambassador Tareq, a career diplomat belonging to the 17th batch of the BCS (Foreign Affairs) Cadre, joined the service in 1998.

Prior to taking up the current position in November 2020, he was serving as the Deputy Permanent Representative in the Bangladesh Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York.

As for his other assignments abroad, he had another stint (from 2005 to 2009) in the New York Permanent Mission as First Secretary initially and at the later part as Counsellor. He then served in the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata, India (2009-2012) as counsellor as well.

At the headquarters, he served as director general (South Asia Wing) and before that in various other capacities, including director (South Asia Wing), director (Foreign Minister’s Office) as well as in the personnel wing and the foreign secretary’s office.

Ambassador Tareq obtained a Master of Diplomacy and Trade degree from the Monash University, Australia and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet).

US Chargé d’Affaires in Dhaka Tracey Ann Jacobson on Monday said the US does not support any particular party, politician, or election outcome, as it expects fair elections in an atmosphere of peace and security early next year.

“The US embassy or the US government does not support any particular party, but we do meet political parties to understand their platforms and their goals. We do not support any particular politician, but we do meet politicians to understand their goals, and we do not support any particular outcome. That is for the people of Bangladesh to decide, and we wish you all the best in doing it,” she said.

The US envoy made the remarks while talking to reporters after a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner A M M Nasir Uddin at Nirbachan Bhaban in the capital.

Tracey Ann Jacobson said she came to the EC with some of her colleagues to listen and to learn and understand, as there are so many rumours and conspiracy theories out there.

Noting that she wants to be very clear what the US government position is, the envoy said the US supports the interim government led by Professor Yunus and the Central Election Commission in charting a pathway to free and fair elections early next year.

“We hope those elections will happen in an atmosphere of peace and security, and we hope they will lead to a successful democratic government that will represent the aspirations and dreams of the Bangladeshi people,” she said.

Jacobson led a three-member delegation from the US Embassy to the meeting. Two other delegation members are David Moo (political chief at the embassy) and Firoze Ahmed (political specialist).

Over a year after Sheikh Hasina was ousted from power following a US deep state-led regime change operation, Awami League sources spill the beans on three ministers who ‘collaborated’ with American officials

Three key ministers in the erstwhile Sheikh Hasina government were effectively subverted by the American ‘deep state’ and guided in particular ways to act against the interests of the Awami League regime in the weeks and months before August 5, 2024.

An ongoing thorough evaluation and assessment of why the Hasina government and the Awami League failed in preventing the massive students’ protest in July-August 2024 uncovers the shadowy roles played by Private Investment and Industry Adviser to the them prime minister, Salman F Rahman, Law Minister Anisul Haq and Minister of State for Information Mohammad Arafat to advance the aims and objectives of the US ‘deep state’.

Rahman and Haq were together arrested under mysterious circumstances from Dhaka’s Sadarghat area on the night of August 13, 2024.

There is little or no information related to Arafat’s whereabouts even as a cross-section of Bangladesh’s former and current officialdom, including security agencies, suspect that he may have used his contacts in the western world to flee abroad.

Speaking with Northeast News on the condition of anonymity, Awami League sources who were familiar with the last weeks of the Hasina regime said that Rahman, Haq and Arafat acted in ways that “harmed the interests” of the government in general and the then prime minister in particular.

This was corroborated by a former senior minister in Sheikh Hasina’s cabinet, who was familiar with Salman F Rahman aka ‘Darbesh’s’ meetings with American officials in the US. This former minister said that Darbesh effectively “shut us out” from approaching Sheikh Hasina on government business.

“They were found to be in direct touch with serving and retired US State Department officials not only in Bangladesh but also abroad since at least 2023, if not earlier,” an Awami League functionary close to the ousted Hasina said.

What is significant is that while Hasina never suspected the three of “betraying” her and the regime, she is now familiar with the precise roles played by the trio.

While some Awami League sources said they suspected the US deep state’s regime change operations began as far back as 2018, after the “questionable” election that brought Hasina back to power, other party sources said that the ball was set rolling in April-May 2023 when overt noises over “free and fair” elections were begun to be made by the State Department and its representative in Dhaka, the then Ambassador Peter D Haas, followed by Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Donald Lu.

In this context, a June 2, 2022, intelligence report by an Indian central agency is revealing. It said, “US ambassador Peter Haas, who is constantly reminding BD (Bangladesh) of the need for restoring democracy, is part of the broader plan to bring down Hasina’s Government”.

By September end, 2023, when she made her last official visit to the United States, Hasina had realised that the American ‘deep state’ intended to unseat her from power.

“In a closed-door meeting with some close party functionaries, she placed six vexed issues that her government was confronted with as a consequence of US pressure.

“These included a proposal for Bangladesh to join the Quad, signing the GESOMIA and ACSA deals, allowing American companies to explore and exploit 26 oil and gas-rich areas and the broader issue of Myanmar as envisaged by the US under its Burma Act,” a party functionary said, adding, “Her chin rested on her hands. She appeared perturbed and worried. She could see the threat to her government”.

Hasina, these Awami Leagues functionaries said, was not prepared to give in to the pressures from the US. The sources said that she did not want to give away all the 26 oil and gas fields to US companies and was interested in “dividing these up among two to three multinational firms”.

Meanwhile, Salman F Rahman aka ‘Darbesh’, who had squirmed his way up the Awami League hierarchy and had placed himself in No. 2 position – effectively the deputy prime minister – maintained a hawk eye on Hasina, taking note of who she spoke with or met. During the Washington DC-leg of Hasina’s two-nation (Japan and US) visit in April-May 2023, the then prime minister was booked to stay at the Ritz Carlton Hotel. Instead of taking up a room at this hotel, Darbesh chose to check in to St Regis Hotel.

“The drive between St Regis Hotel and Ritz Carlton would take between 20-30 minutes,” said this source. There was to be a meeting to work out the details of launching a new media platform to counter the “propaganda” launched by some Bangladeshi media, including newspapers and online portals.

“Besides Darbesh, Mohammad Arafat was to be there too for the meeting that would finalise the details of the proposed media platform. Just as I was about to enter the meeting, I saw Marcia Bernicat (who was Ambassador to Bangladesh between 2015 and 2018) leave a room in which Darbesh was ensconced,” the source said.

“When I asked Darbesh two questions related to this meeting with Bernicat, his response was evasive. First, he said this was a separate meeting. Secondly, Darbesh said he did not want his guest seen among others,” the source said, adding, “the previous evening, there was a meeting between Bangladesh’s Ambassador to the US Mohammad Imran and Hasina. The PM’s son Sajib Wazed Joy was also in the meeting”.

There were at least six Americans, including William Milam, the then Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Afrin Akter, a foreign policy analyst and South Asia specialist and Bernicat who were in regular touch with Darbesh, the source said.

Bernicat and two other US State Department officials were sacked by the Donald Trump administration in the second half of January 2025. At that time, Bernicat held the post of Director-General of the US Foreign Service and Director of global talent leading the recruitment, assignment and career development of the State Department’s workforce.

“What stunned me was that later, after the Bangladeshi delegation returned to Dhaka, Darbesh conveyed through Arafat that the new media platform project was no longer required”, the source said, lamenting the “hard work that had gone into preparing a feasibility study and other steps toward that direction”.

Darbesh’s last visit to the US was in October-end 2023, when she had a meeting with US Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights Uzra Zeya.

In December 2024, an Awami League functionary in New York was told by the chief of staff of US Representative From New York (D) and Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Gregory Weldon Meeks that “something major would happen in Bangladesh in six months”.

Sheikh Hasina had little or no inkling of the conspiracy against her. “It was only a few months ago (in 2025) that I had the opportunity to share with Hasina the details of what I could piece together. Her facial muscles tightened as I narrated the extent and depth of the conspiracy that was hatched against her. She then instructed me to prepare a written report,” the source said.

August 3, 2024, was a critical date in Bangladesh’s history in general and Sheikh Hasina’s regime in particular. By that time, the students’ movement had taken a deadly turn, as violence and lawlessness became the order of the day. The first phase of violence – July 16 to 20 – had claimed several lives. The second phase – August 4-6 – was to be deadlier still.

“During a televised interview, a comment by Arafat, that the government had plenty of bullets to counter the students’ movement, proved disastrous, fueling ever more anger against the Hasina regime. This was not foolish; it was deliberate,” the source said.

“On August 3, 2024, the prime minister had convened a meeting in her office. The three services chiefs, the Inspector General of Police and the Directors General of DGFI and NSI were present at the meeting. At one point, the Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal asked Gen Waker-uz-Zaman what the police should do. Gen Zaman responded, saying ‘do not worry, the Army will take over,” the source said.

Hasina, the source said, had the time to “sack him”, but for reasons best known to her, she did not.

The Awami League as a party had also reached a point of indecisiveness or perhaps unseen hands held it in check. The party’s July karmasuchi (programme) included shok michhil (condolence rallies) in every ward of the Dhaka metropolitan area. Besides, there was a plan to bring in 400,000-500,000 party activists and supporters into the capital. “They were to be put up at the Bangabandhu Sammelan Kendra (the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre) at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in Dhaka,” the source said.

On July 30, having sensed that the students’ movement would intensify, Salman F Rahman asked Sheikh Rehana to reach Dhaka post haste from the UK.

“She was given the responsibility of telling Sheikh Hasina that in the event there is bloodshed, the Awami League rally would need to be cancelled. The responsibility for calling off the rally was devolved on Awami League office Secretary Biplab Barua.

“When party leaders backed going ahead with the rally, Sheikh Rehana exploded in rage, telling the assembled party leaders ‘do as you are being told to do’. The planned rally was cancelled, preventing the Awami League from putting up an effective counter-force against the students, Islami Chhatra Shibir, Jamaat-e-Islami and BNP activists and supporters,” the source revealed.

On August 5, Sheikh Hasina resigned, leaving Dhaka for New Delhi.

Close to a year after Sheikh Hasina’s government was toppled in a carefully orchestrated regime change operation, party leaders in Kolkata are bitter with the Awami League leadership.

“They complained that they had been paralysed when the party was in power and everything went well for the organisation. They had no opportunity to candidly express their views either on issues related to the party or the government. So, there was no honest criticism, there was no opportunity to evaluate. This sprung from the fear that they would lose their party or government posts,” Awami League sources said.

Party sources now feel that even as the US deep state had penetrated the Awami League’s upper echelon, a key factor that led to Sheikh Hasina’s “isolation” was her “disastrous” China visit between July 8 and 10.

She returned home at least a day before her scheduled date of arrival, indicating that the China visit did not go as well as planned.

This had the effect of angering India too, Awami League sources said, adding that the “China visit was a wrong strategic decision as far Bangladesh’s relations with India were concerned”.

Three people were shot and wounded in New York’s Times Square, the New York Police Department said on Saturday (9 August). The people – an 18-year-old female, 19 19-year-old male, and a 65-year-old male – are in a stable condition in hospital, an NYPD spokesperson said. A 17-year-old male is in custody, the NYPD added. The police also recovered a firearm.

The shooting took place at around 1:20am ET (0520 GMT) and followed a verbal altercation with one of the victims, the NYPD added. It said it was not known at this time whether the shooter or the victims knew each other. Mass shootings are relatively common in the United States, where guns are widely available.

The incident at one of New York’s most iconic tourist spots comes after July’s high-profile shooting in a Manhattan office tower, which left four people dead, including a senior Blackstone executive and an NYPD officer.

New York experienced record-low shooting incidents and victims in the first seven months of this year, and in July, according to a statement published by the city’s police department on 4 August. Crime is a key electoral issue for America’s largest city, which is set to hold mayoral elections in November.

A one-on-one meeting was held between BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman and US Chargé d’Affaires to Bangladesh Ambassador Tracey Ann Jacobson in July last in London. Tarique Rahman’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kabir and the US Embassy in Dhaka confirmed the meeting, according to a private television channel.

Humayun Kabir described the meeting as “very good” and said it lasted for a couple of hours.

“The ambassador exchanged pleasantries with Tarique Rahman and got to know him personally,” he added.

The discussion focused on BNP’s views regarding the upcoming national election, the party’s vision for future governance and its international outlook. They discussed fundamental issues—what kind of country the BNP wants to build if it wins the next election, what the party’s position is on the electoral framework and how it sees its role internationally, Kabir said.

He emphasised that the discussions were fully aligned with the interests of Bangladesh’s people. “There is nothing that conflicts with the interest of the people of this country,” he noted.

Kabir said Tarique Rahman’s approach to foreign policy will be shaped by the aspirations of the people of Bangladesh and the spirit of the July Uprising.

“His foreign policy will prioritise the people’s interest and be rooted in what they have fought for,” he said.

According to Kabir, the meeting took place in two phases. In the first phase, Ambassador Jacobson enquired about Tarique Rahman’s well-being and discussed how he has been guiding his party over the past 17 years while living abroad.

WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Nellie Pou (D-NJ-09) today announced that she has been named co-chair of Congress’s Bangladesh Caucus. She will join longtime co-chair Congressman Joe Wilson (R-SC-02).

“I am blessed to represent one of the largest Bangladeshi American communities in the United States, a key segment of our vibrant district,” said Congresswoman Pou. “Bangladeshi Americans make immeasurable contributions to our state and nation’s mosaics and I will use this new position to build public awareness of the richness of Bangladeshi culture and history. Congressman Wilson is a voice of great moral authority for international freedom and I look forward to working with my friend to advocate for our Bangladeshi neighbors.”

“The Bangladesh caucus is an important initiative in Congress to show support for Bangaladeshi-Americans, and work productively on the U.S.-Bangladesh bilateral relationship. I am grateful to relaunch this initiative as Co-Chair,” said Congressman Joe Wilson.

“Congratulations to my Congresswoman Nellie Pou on becoming Co-Chair of the Congressional Bangladesh Caucus excited to work together to strengthen U.S.-Bangladesh ties!” said Paterson Second Ward Councilman Shahin Khalique.

“As a proud Councilmember of Bangladeshi descent in the City of Paterson, I am honored to witness that Congresswoman Nellie Pou – who represents New Jersey’s 9th Congressional District and the largest Bangladeshi community in the state – has become the Co-Chair of the Congressional Bangladeshi Caucus. This milestone reflects not only her deep commitment to diversity and inclusion, but also her steadfast support for our community as we strive for greater representation and equity. I am hopeful that, under her leadership, critical issues such as immigration reform, support for small businesses, educational equity, and cultural recognition will receive the attention they deserve. As we continue to build bridges between communities and government, I look forward to working alongside her to uplift the voices and aspirations of Bangladeshi Americans throughout the district,” said Paterson Councilman-at-Large MD Forid Uddin.

A total of 39 Bangladeshi nationals, including one woman, were deported from the United States and arrived in Dhaka today (2 August). They were flown back on a special military aircraft (C-17), which landed at 6:45am at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, an officer of the Immigration Department of the Special Branch (SB) of police confirmed to The Business Standard.

Upon their arrival, the returnees were provided with transportation assistance by Brac, while food support was arranged by the expatriates’ welfare desk, Brac Migration Programme said in a press release. Several of the deportees alleged that they were kept in handcuffs throughout the long flight from the US.

“We are not criminals. We simply sought asylum. But we were treated like dangerous prisoners,” said one of the returnees.

Commenting on the deportation, Shariful Hasan, associate director of Brac Migration Programme and Youth Platform, said, “From what we have learned, most of them had sold their homes or taken heavy loans to finance the journey — some spending as much as Tk30 to Tk40 lakh — trying to reach the US in an irregular approach through Mexico or various South American countries.”

Upon reaching the US, they applied for asylum, but their applications were rejected by the courts and immigration authorities, Shariful said, adding that the US administration later decided to deport them.

The 25th annual Colombian Day Parade was held on Sunday, July 27, between 69th Street and 89th Street in Jackson Heights. Attendees of all ages showed off their Colombian pride. Numerous Queens residents were on hand for this celebration of Colombian independence. There were also local elected officials present for the event, including Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, State Senator Jessica Ramos, Assemblymembers Catalina Cruz and Larinda Hooks, District Leader Hiram Monserrate and New York State Court Judge Gary Miret.

For Ramos, the parade reaching a milestone of 25 years was very important. “My dad helped found this parade 25 years ago,” Ramos said. “We have been working very hard to increase visibility for the Colombian community and to celebrate our heritage. This is a great way to end our month of celebration here in Jackson Heights.”

Over the course of the quarter-century of the parade’s existence, the Colombian Day Parade has grown to become one of the largest Hispanic parades in the New York metropolitan area.

Former New York Governor and current New York City Mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo served as the grand marshal of this year’s parade. He was chosen for the role in large part based on his history of public service to the city and the state as a whole.

The State Department began firing more than 1,350 U.S.-based employees on Friday as the administration of President Donald Trump presses ahead with an unprecedented overhaul of its diplomatic corps, a move critics say will undermine U.S. ability to defend and promote U.S. interests abroad. The layoffs, which affect 1,107 civil service and 246 foreign service officers based in the United States, come at a time when Washington is grappling with multiple crises on the world stage: Russia’s war in Ukraine, the almost two-year-long Gaza conflict, and the Middle East on edge due to high tension between Israel and Iran.

“The Department is streamlining domestic operations to focus on diplomatic priorities,” an internal State Department notice that was sent to the workforce said. “Headcount reductions have been carefully tailored to affect non-core functions, duplicative or redundant offices, and offices where considerable efficiencies may be found,” it added. The total reduction in the workforce will be nearly 3,000, including the voluntary departures, according to the notice and a senior State Department official, out of the 18,000 employees based in the United States.

The move is the first step of a restructuring that Trump has sought to ensure U.S. foreign policy is aligned with his “America First” agenda. Former diplomats and critics say the firing of foreign service officers risks America’s ability to counter the growing assertiveness from adversaries such as China and Russia.

“President Trump and Secretary of State Rubio are once again making America less safe and less secure,” Democratic senator Tim Kaine from Virginia said in a statement.

“This is one of the most ridiculous decisions that could possibly be made at a time when China is increasing its diplomatic footprint around the world and establishing an overseas network of military and transportation bases, Russia is continuing its years-long brutal assault of a sovereign country, and the Middle East is careening from crisis to crisis,” Kaine said.

Dozens of State Department employees crowded the lobby of the agency’s headquarters in Washington holding an impromptu “clap-out” for their colleagues who have been fired. Dozens of people were crying, as they carried their belongings in boxes and hugged and bid farewell to friends and fellow workers.

President Donald Trump has announced that the European Union and Mexico will face a 30% tariff on imports to the US from 1 August. He warned he would impose even higher import taxes if either of the US trading partners decided to retaliate. The 27-member EU – America’s biggest trading partner – said earlier this week it hoped to agree a deal with Washington before 1 August.

Trump has this week also said the US will impose new tariffs on goods from Japan, South Korea, Canada and Brazil, also starting from 1 August. Similar letters were sent this week to a number of smaller US trade partners.

In the letter sent on Friday to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Trump wrote: “We have had years to discuss our trading relationship with the European Union, and have concluded that we must move away from these long-term-large, and persistent, trade deficits, engendered by your tariff, and non-tariff, policies and trade barriers.”

“Our relationship has been, unfortunately, far from reciprocal,” the letter added.

The EU has been a frequent target of Trump’s criticism. On 2 April, he proposed a 20% tariff for goods from the bloc, as well as dozens of other trade partners. He then threatened to raise the EU import taxes to 50% as trade talks stalled.

Washington and Brussels had hoped to reach an agreement before a deadline of 9 July, but there have been no announcements on progress.In 2024, the US trade deficit with the bloc was $235.6bn (€202bn; £174bn), according to the office of the US trade representative. Von der Leyen said the EU remained ready “to continue working towards an agreement by Aug 1”.

“Few economies in the world match the European Union’s level of openness and adherence to fair trading practices,” her statement added.

“We will take all necessary steps to safeguard EU interests, including the adoption of proportionate countermeasures if required.”

Italy Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said in a statement she trusted “a fair agreement” could be reached, adding: “It would make no sense to trigger a trade war between the two sides of the Atlantic.” Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof said on social media that the EU “must remain united and resolute” in its aim to reach a “mutually beneficial” deal with the US.

Germany’s Association of the Automotive Industry warned about the prospect of rising costs for German carmakers and suppliers, and said it was “regrettable that there is a threat of a further escalation of the trade conflict”.

In his letter to Mexico’s leader, Trump said the country had not done enough to stop North America becoming a “Narco-Trafficking Playground”.

“Mexico has been helping me secure the border, BUT, what Mexico has done, is not enough,” Trump added.

In his letters to the EU and Mexico, Trump warned that if either trade partner retaliated with import duties of their own against the US, he would hit back by raising tariffs by a similar percentage over and above the 30%.

Mexico responded to Trump’s threat on Saturday, calling it an “unfair deal”.

Trump’s letter did not say if Mexico goods traded within the 2020 United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement would be exempt from the proposed 1 August tariff hikes, as the White House said would be the case with Canada.

Earlier this week, the White House sent a letter to Canada threatening a 35% tariff. As of Saturday, the Trump administration has now proposed tariff conditions on 24 countries and the EU. On 12 April, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro set a goal to secure “90 deals in 90 days”. So far, the president has announced the outlines of two such pacts with the United Kingdom and Vietnam amid ongoing negotiations.