Nisha Biswal arrives today

US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Desai Biswal arrives today to meet top government leaders and discuss ways to strengthen security cooperation.

She arrives more than a week after the brutal killing of USAID staff Xulhaz Mannan and his friend Mahbub Tonoy.

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Diplomatic sources said the US Secretary of State John Kerry, who talked to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina over the phone on April 28 about the murders, had asked Biswal to visit Bangladesh to bolster cooperation on countering violent extremism and terrorism.

During her two-day visit, Biswal is expected to call on Hasina, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and other high government officials.

Biswal will meet government officials to discuss the broader bilateral relationship and issues of shared concern regarding security, according to a media note issued yesterday by the Office of the Spokesperson of the Department of State, Washington, DC.

“She will also meet with the embassy community, and hold discussions with local human rights and civil society organisations,” the note added.

Ahead of her visit, the US on Monday urged the Bangladesh government to ensure more secure environment for all citizens of the country.

Responding to a question, State Department Spokesperson John Kirby said the US is watching the Bangladesh situation “very closely”.

“…our focus remains on urging the government of Bangladesh to provide a more secure environment for all of its citizens, one that nurtures the spirit of the people of Bangladesh and the pride with which they guard their own traditions of tolerance, peace, and diversity,” he said during the daily press briefing.

Earlier, Secretary Kerry offered US support for the investigation into the attack that killed Xulhas and Tonoy on April 25.