More information about Bangladesh is available on the Bangladesh Page, U.S. Department of State publications, and other sources listed at the end of this fact sheet.
U.S.-BANGLADESH RELATIONS
The United States and Bangladesh cooperate closely on a range of issues, including economics, security, governance, and development. U.S.-Bangladesh ties go beyond the government-to-government level: our people-to-people and commercial relationships complement and expand upon the work of our officials. At our last annual partnership dialogue with Bangladesh in June 2019, our two governments reaffirmed their enduring partnership, highlighting close cooperation on security, development, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and counterterrorism. The two governments agreed to continue to work closely together to advance a shared vision of a free, open, inclusive, peaceful, and secure Indo-Pacific region.
U.S. Assistance to Bangladesh
The United States has invested billions of dollars to improve the lives of Bangladeshis and Bangladesh is the largest recipient of U.S. assistance in Asia aside from Afghanistan and Pakistan. U.S. assistance fosters engagement with the Government of Bangladesh – helping to grow more food, build more roads, and train more skilled teachers, health care providers, and soldiers. In addition, the United States is the largest donor to the Rohingya refugee crisis response, providing humanitarian support to over one million refugees from Burma along with host communities. During the 2020 COVID-19 crisis, the United States has provided over $36 million in assistance to date.
Bilateral Economic Relations
Bangladesh has achieved decades of impressive economic growth, with expectations of 2019 breaking eight percent annual GDP growth. The United States is proud to be a partner in Bangladesh’s development success. Its enviable growth and openness to U.S. private sector investment makes this market a standout opportunity for U.S. firms and those of our allies. Bangladesh exported $5.5 billion worth of products, primarily apparel and textiles, to the United States in 2018, making the United States the single largest market for Bangladeshi goods in the world. In turn, U.S. exports to Bangladesh, which consisted largely of agricultural products (grains and cotton) and machinery, amounted to $2.1 billion, up 43 percent from the previous year, but still resulting in a U.S. trade deficit of $4 billion. The United States is also currently the largest source of foreign direct investment in Bangladesh. At the end of 2017, the United States accounted for 23 percent of the stock of foreign direct investment in Bangladesh. Chevron is the single largest foreign investor, producing some 55 percent of Bangladesh’s domestic natural gas. U.S. companies are the largest foreign investors in Bangladesh, with $3.4 billion in investments as of 2018, which accounts for 20 percent of total FDI stock in Bangladesh. The vast majority of these investments are in the oil and gas, banking and insurance, and power generation sectors.
Bangladesh’s Membership in International Organizations
Bangladesh and the United States belong to a number of the same international organizations, including the United Nations, ASEAN Regional Forum, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organization.
Bilateral Representation
The U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh is Earl R. Miller; other principal embassy officials are listed in the Department’s Key Officers List.
Bangladesh maintains an embassy in the United States at 3510 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 (tel: 202-244-0183).
CIA World Factbook Bangladesh Page
U.S. Embassy
USAID Bangladesh Page
History of U.S. Relations With Bangladesh
Office of the U.S. Trade Representative Country Page
U.S. Census Bureau Foreign Trade Statistics
Export.gov International Offices Page
Library of Congress Country Studies
Travel Information