US Assistant Secretary Paul Kapur Arrives in Dhaka to Bolster Strategic Ties

US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Paul Kapoor arrived in Dhaka on Tuesday night for a two-day official visit aimed at reviewing the future of Dhaka–Washington relations. He came from Delhi and was received at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport by officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

This is his first visit to Bangladesh and India since succeeding Donald Lu at the US State Department.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the US Embassy in Dhaka, the visit is taking place from March 3 to 5. Discussions are expected to focus on bilateral cooperation and broader geopolitical issues. Trade, investment, defence cooperation and visa matters are likely to feature prominently in the talks.

On March 4, Kapoor is scheduled to meet Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, Energy Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmud Tuku and Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir. He will also meet a delegation of business leaders in the evening.

On the final day of his visit, he is expected to hold talks with leaders of political parties and with the Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Adviser, Humayun Kabir. He will later attend an iftar hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Kapoor is a professor in the Department of National Security Affairs at the US Naval Postgraduate School. He earned a PhD from the University of Chicago and a bachelor’s degree from Amherst College. He previously taught at Claremont McKenna College and was a visiting professor at Stanford University.

From 2020 to 2021, Kapoor served on the US State Department’s Policy Planning Staff. His work has focused on South and Central Asia, Indo-Pacific security and US–India relations, including involvement in Track 1.5 strategic dialogue initiatives.