US eager to sign two defence deals with BD

The USA is eager to sign two instruments with Bangladesh related with the defence issues and Bangladesh is scrutinizing drafts of the agreements.
Bangladesh and the US passed a draft defence agreement during the eighth partnership dialogue in Dhaka.
The US Under Secretary for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland and Bangladesh's Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen at a joint press briefing said that the two sides had passed the draft agreement on the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA).
"Finally, GSOMIA is the gateway to be able to do more on the security front� we passed a draft agreement and we are very confident that we will be able to get the issue settled so that we can do more on the security side together and that will be looked forward to," Victoria Nuland told during media briefing in March 2022 here.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said Bangladesh has high expectations from the Biden administration in terms of building a comprehensive bilateral partnership.
He noted that there is no pressure from the US to sign these agreements and Bangladesh is not in a position to do anything under pressure from anybody.
"Bangladesh has an independent foreign policy
and whatever we do will be done for the interest of people."
Bangladesh is scrutinizing drafts of the agreements, he said.
Foreign Ministry sources said the issue will be discussed at the defense dialogue on March 6 during the meeting between the Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen and the Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security Affairs Bonnie Denise Jenkins at Washington.
Earlier, Bangladesh and the United States agreed to work towards security and economic cooperation and enhancing people-to-people ties in support of a stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.   
For nearly 50 years, the United States and Bangladesh have enjoyed cordial diplomatic relations and partnered on a wide range of security issues, including border security, maritime security, counterterrorism, peacekeeping, defense trade, and defense institution building, Foreign Minister said.
Since 2015, the United States has provided $66.9 million in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) and $7.29 million in International Military Education and Training (IMET) assistance to Bangladesh.
FMF assistance includes $10 million in bilateral programming, and $56.9 million in Bay of Bengal Initiative Regional FMF.
The US government has $130.59 million in active government-to-government sales cases with Bangladesh under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) system.
In 2012 Bangladesh acquired 4 C-130E transport aircraft worth $180 million. In addition, Bangladesh received 20 aircraft engines provided with Title 10 security assistance funding under the Excess Defense Articles (EDA) programme.  
Bangladesh also received two former US Coast Guard Hamilton Class cutters via EDA in 2013 and 2015. Bangladesh received 50 EDA MRAP vehicles in 2019 to support its peacekeepers in Mali.
In FY 2019, the United States also authorized the permanent export of over $6 million in defense articles to Bangladesh via the Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) process.
The top categories of DCS to Bangladesh include aircraft and related articles; materials and miscellaneous articles; and fire control, laser, imaging, and guidance equipment.
Since 2005, the United States has contributed nearly $44 million to support training, equipment, and facilities upgrades to enhance Bangladesh's peacekeeping capabilities.
Since 2010, the United States has conducted the annual multinational military exercise Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) with Bangladesh. Since 2008, Bangladesh has also partnered with the state of Oregon via the National Guard's State Partnership Programme.
In the last dialogue, the United States requested Bangladesh to continue the discussion on protection of classified military information shared between the two countries, the Foreign Ministry said.   
The United States engages Bangladesh through several bilateral and multilateral platform - the U.S.-Bangladesh Partnership Dialogue, the US-Bangladesh Security Dialogue and the ASEAN Regional Forum - and agreed to continue to work together to advance a shared vision of a free, open, inclusive, peaceful, and secure Indo-Pacific region.