US State Dept official Chollet due Feb 14

Derek H Chollet, the Counsellor of the US Department of State will visit Dhaka on February 14 to

discuss crucial bi-lateral issues with Bangladesh government for mutual benefit.

"He (Chollet) will be here for a 12-hour short visit but it is significant as he is a senior policy

adviser to the Secretary of State on a wide range of issues and conducts special diplomatic

assignments as directed by the Secretary Antony Blinken," a senior official of the Foreign Ministry

said.

Prior to his visit a 4-member delegation will visit Dhaka to discuss the agendas of the visit that

includes Rohingya issues, sanction on RAB and IPS and other current affairs, the official said

preferring anonymity.

The 4-member delegation will visit Cox's Bazar Rohingya camps and will talk with the Rohingyas and

local community people there to understand the situation on the ground, as the situation is worse

after the recent incidents in Myanmar.

"We will welcome Chollet, we (Bangladesh-USA) are enjoying a very good relation now, we hope the visit

will help us to address the Rohingya issues," Momen said.

On December 14 in 2022, the US Department of State made the announcement that the US would scale up

Rohingya resettlement to the US but did not mention any specific figures.

The US has launched the resettlement programme for Rohingyas in collaboration with the Bangladesh

government and UN Refugee Agency a week after US Assistant Secretary of the US Bureau of Population,

Refugees and Migration Julieta Valls Noyes ended a 5-day visit to Bangladesh on December, 2022.
On December 8, the day after she left Dhaka, at least 24 Rohingyas left for the US. They were among

the 62 vulnerable Rohingyas identified.

According to officials, the UNHCR identifies vulnerable Rohingyas first and then law enforcers verify

their identities before the Foreign Ministry issues exit passes, which are used as travel documents

overseas.

US Department of State said the resettlement programme will be part of the global US Refugee

Admissions Programme.

"The US has so far provided more than $1.9 billion in humanitarian assistance for Rohingya refugees in

Bangladesh and the region," the Foreign Ministry official said.