US Under-Secretary Uzra Zeya arrives

US Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights Uzra Zeya arrived here this evening on a three-day visit.

Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen received Under Secretary Uzra Zeya upon her arrival at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

In Bangladesh, the Under Secretary will discuss shared humanitarian concerns, including the Rohingya refugee crisis; labor issues; human rights; free and fair elections; and combating trafficking in persons, according to US Department of State.

The US delegation was likely to discuss issues related to human rights, Rohingya crisis and political situation ahead of early January 2024 elections with Bangladesh leaders and official, a diplomatic source said.

The Under Secretary and her delegation members will go straight to Cox‍‍`s Bazar on early Wednesday to meet the Rohingya people while most of their other engagements will take place on Thursday in Dhaka.

Zeya is likely to meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Private Industries and Investment Adviser Salman F Rahman apart from her meetings with Law and Home Ministers and Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen, said the official source.

US Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu and Deputy Assistant Administrator of the Bureau for Asia, USAID Znjali Kaur are part of the US delegation, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Zeya leads global diplomatic efforts to strengthen democracy, advance universal human rights, support refugees and humanitarian relief, promote rule of law and counternarcotics cooperation, fight corruption and intolerance, prevent armed conflict, and eliminate human trafficking.

Foreign secretary Masud Momen earlier said Zeya was a relatively senior US official and her mandated area "is quite wide".