In an endeavor to strengthen ties and discuss mutual security interests, Mira K. Resnick, the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Regional Security at the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, is set to visit Dhaka.
Resnick is slated to arrive on September 4, as confirmed by a foreign ministry official. This visit precedes the upcoming round of security dialogue between the United States and Bangladesh, emphasizing the significance of this bilateral engagement.
The security dialogue brings in a wide range of issues related to the partnership between the two countries, including strategic priorities and regional security issues, defence cooperation, civilian security cooperation, UN peacekeeping, counter-terrorism, and countering violent extremism.
Bangladesh is likely to reiterate its call to return Rashed Chowdhury, a convicted killer of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to Bangladesh, to face justice. The Rohingya issue may also come up for discussion as a threat in regional and global contexts.
At the 8th Security Dialogue held between the two countries at the US Department of State in April last year, the two sides had "constructive discussions" on defence agreements like General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) and ACSA as the US is keen to enhance security cooperation with Bangladesh.
GSOMIA and Acquisition and Cross Servicing Agreement (ACSA) are "essential" to enable a closer defence relationship and expand opportunities for defence trade, information sharing, and military-to-military cooperation between the United States and Bangladesh.
These issues are likely to come up for discussion as a follow-up, a diplomatic source revealed while speaking to Bangladesh Post.
Mira holds a crucial position in the Bureau, supervising the Office of Regional Security and Arms Transfers. Under her oversight, the Bureau’s Office of Regional Security and Arms Transfers manages over $40 billion annually in government-to-government defense equipment transfers through Foreign Military Sales, Third Party Transfers, and Excess Defense Articles. She is also responsible for the Bureau’s Office of Security Assistance, which manages approximately $6.5 billion in U.S. security sector assistance annually; coordinates State Department oversight, planning, and input for over $9 billion in Defence Department security sector assistance programmes; and provides State Department input for Department of Defence planning and military activities. Prior to her current position, she served as the Senior Professional Staff Member for the Democratic staff of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, focusing on the Middle East and North Africa. In this capacity, Mira negotiated dozens of bills, resolutions, letters, and amendments with Democratic and Republican members, key community stakeholders, and two Administrations.
A driver of bipartisan consensus, she has worked on a wide range of topics, including weapons transfers, sanctions, human rights, and foreign assistance. Mira began working on Capitol Hill in 2005 and has worked for Rep. Henry Waxman (D-California), Rep. William Keating (D-Massachusetts), Rep. Ron Klein (D-Florida), and Rep. Steven Israel (D-New York). From 2011 to 2013, Mira joined the State Department’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, working on strategic planning and relations with Congress. Mira graduated from Columbia University and earned a master’s degree in Security Studies from the National Defense University. She is a Term Member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Mira fought to keep Israel and other US Middle East allies safe when Iran’s nuclear threats were looming large over the Middle East. Supporting security capacity-building in the area was one of Mira’s crucial tasks during that period.
“Our continued engagement in the Middle East is important. Increasingly complex global challenges demand strong partnerships because we know that we cannot act alone, and we face global problems whose consequences shape security at a regional level”, said the deputy assistant secretary of state for regional security in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, reveals the report posted by The Jerusalem Post.
She spoke at IISS-Americas Defense Trade Roundtable held in June 2022 at Washington DC and also at Jewish Women’s Forum Summit in March 2023.