Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed announced on Monday that security measures within Dhaka’s diplomatic enclave, including the United States Embassy, have been significantly strengthened in response to the volatile global situation.
The announcement followed a high-level courtesy call by US Ambassador Brent T. Christensen at the Ministry of Home Affairs in the Bangladesh Secretariat.
The Minister confirmed that in addition to the regular police presence, the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has been deployed to reinforce the diplomatic area.
Law enforcement agencies have been placed on high alert to execute necessary precautionary measures.
Describing the United States as a "steadfast partner," the Minister reaffirmed the long-standing cooperation between the two nations in security and counter-terrorism efforts.
During the meeting, Ambassador Christensen emphasized the urgency of implementing the "Special Programme for Embassy Augmentation and Response (SPEAR)" to consolidate safety for the embassy and the wider diplomatic zone.
The Ambassador stressed the need for a swift signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), warning that dedicated US funding for the program could be diverted if delays persist.
In response, Minister Ahmed expressed the government’s commitment to fast-tracking the program following top-level approval.
The discussions also covered the proposed "Electronic Nationality Verification (ENV)" program.
According to the Ambassador, successful implementation of this system would place Bangladesh in the "Green Zone" for US immigration, streamlining the verification process for citizens.
On the topic of counter-terrorism, the Envoy noted that while the US has trained approximately 30,000 Bangladesh Police officials since 2010, the impact has been diluted by personnel transfers and retirements.
The Home Minister assured the US delegation that steps would be taken to better utilize this expertise, directing ministry officials to organize workshops with relevant stakeholders.
The meeting was attended by senior officials from both the Ministry of Home Affairs and the US Embassy, including Political and Economic Counselor Eric Geelan and Joint Secretary Rebeka Khan.
The dialogue underscored a mutual desire to deepen bilateral relations through enhanced technological integration and robust security frameworks.
