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US-Bangla relation reaches new heights

Warm welcome to President Clinton

By M Anwarul Haq
US President Bill Clinton arrives here today to a rousing reception on the first leg of his three-nation South Asian tour.
The Air Force One carrying the President and his entourage for a day-long visit to Bangladesh is scheduled to touch down at the Zia International Airport at 10.15 am.
The country will have the unique honour to receive an American President in its 29 years' of independence. Not many American Presidents have visited many countries in the Third World or in Asia.
The trip by a US President is also a moment of reflection and vindication for Bangladesh because despite lack of official US support, its people earned independence in 1971 through an armed struggle.
Bill Clinton's arrival will be heralded by a 21-gun salute. Red carpet will be rolled out at ZIA to welcome the distinguished guest. US and Bangladesh National anthems will be played by the band. President Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will receive the US President who will then inspect an honour guard drawn from the three services.
Clinton will be accompanied by Secretary of State Madeliene Albright and Commerce Secretary William Daley. His only daughter Chelsea and mother-in law are also accompanying him. Hillary Clinton who had earlier visited Bangladesh in 1995 is staying back in New York. She is preoccupied as she is running for the Senate.
The US President is expected to make brief remarks to waiting newsmen at the airport. He will then be whisked off by a posse of US Secret Servicemen, hundreds of whom have already arrived in Bangladesh to ensure his security. The US Congress has given the highest mandate to the US Secret Service to protect the President what ever the cost may be. In fact the concern for the protection of the US President have pushed local security agencies including the elite SSF to the second position.
The entire itinerary of Clinton is being kept under wraps. However, it was learnt that he would be flown by US helicopter Marine One to old Tejgaon Airport from where he will go to the International Conference Centre for official talks with the Prime Minister.
He will be chopper-ridden to Savar Cantonment from where he will go to the Savar Martyrs' Memorial and place a wreath to pay tributes to the Liberation War heroes and plant a sapling. He will then visit Grameen Bank's micro-credit programme at the adjoining Joypura village.
Clinton will move in Dhaka in his bullet-proof Presidential limousines that have already been flown to Bangladesh. Besides the security apparatus and surveillance gear, all food consumables have already b^en flown to the country.
A communications centre, a replica of the White House Communications Centre, will be operating today from the Bangladesh capital, allowing the US President to talk to any one. anywhere in the world through secured telecommunication links.
The US President's Bangladesh itinerary Is packed with programmes. Although Clinton is staying for only 12 hours, itinerary experts say his White House protocol handlers have managed to pack schedules that normally take three days to complete.
Grameen and BRAC
According to well informed sources. Clinton's visit to distant Bangladesh was rooted since he had befriended Yunus when he was Governor of Arkansas. The success of Dr Mohammed Yunus's micro-credit programmes and empow-erinent of women in Bangladesh and In some other parts of the world own public adoration from both Clinton ami Hillary who had been looking forward to a trip to the country to see those.
Dr Yunus, a 1970 graduate from Vanderbilt University with Ph.D in Economics, will be at hand when Clinton visits a Grameen project in Joypura. 35 kilometres northwest of Dhaka and eight kilometres from the Savar Martyr's Memorial.
Rice fields surround this picturesque village, which consists of 150 mud and corrrugated sheet houses with intermittent home gardens, built in a U-shape around a large open field. He will address the people of Joypura under an old banyan tree.
President Clinton will also Join a meeting of women who are Grameen Bank borrowers. Escorted by Yunus, founder and director of the bank. Clinton
will also visit a Grameen project producing Grameen fabric, enterprise development programmes and a solar power unit there.
The US President will also visit a primary school for girls at Joypura. run by Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC). He will be escorted by Fazle Hasan Abed. Founder and Executive Director of BRAC. now considered the largest nongovernment organisation in the world.
Political Programmes
Three political programmes have been fixed for the visiting President. The US President will have bilateral official talks with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, where "new initiatives" will be taken on energy cooperation and tropical forest conservation. The on-going defence cooperation Is also likely to come up for discussion.
President Clinton will also call on President Shahabuddin Ahmed and hold exclusive talks with him at the Bangabhavan.
Leader of the Opposition and former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia will call on the US President at his Sonargaon Hotel suite In the late afternoon.
Briefing newsmen yesterday. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Abul Hasan Chowdhury said the official talks will be open-ended . with emphasis on enhancing political and economic cooperation.
He said issues including duty-free access of Bangladeshi products to the US market. expansion of bilateral trade. Judicious use of natural resources, exemption of debts under PL-480. regularisatlon of Bangladeshi immigrants to the US will also come up for discussion.
A photo session and a joint statement is expected to be issued at the end of the bilateral talks.
A number of PSCs with American oil companies were
due to be signed during Clinton's visit. But It became uncertain yesterday afternoon although hectic negotiations were on with US oil companies, chiefs of some of which are already In the capital
However, an agreement for cooperation In peaceful use of nuclear energy, particularly regarding Roopur Power Plant is expected to lx? signed.
The US President will be hosted a state banquet by President Shahabuddin at the Durbar Hall of the Bangabhavan The banquet will be concluded with a cultural programme. It was learnt that arrangements for 250 selected guests have been made at the sit down din-
Dropped programmes
Since the announcement of Bill Clinton's visit on February 2. a number of advance teams came to Dhaka. The teams in cooperation with Bangladesh officials fixed the programmes. Some programmes proposed by Bangladesh were not included These Include a civic reception, visit to the Bangabandhu Musuem. luncheon with the Prime Minister and conferment of a Honorary Doctorate Degree by Dhaka University.
An example of moderate democracy
Bill Clinton's visit is a testimony to recognition of Bangladesh as an emerging democracy. This was observed by US Assistant Secretary of State Karl Inderfurth in a recent statement in Washington. "The President's main objective will be to recognise, reciprocate, and reinforce a tradition of friendship and cooperation with Bangladesh, one of the leading moderate Muslim democracies in the world", Inderfurth said.
American investment in Bangladesh has increased to 750 million dollars now from 25 million US dollars some years ago. US companies are highly interested in Bangladesh's energy resources.
Clinton's visit will also raise the geo-political profile of Bangladesh and reinforce its position as a strategically important country.