US Ambassador Brent Christensen pledges deeper partnership with Bangladesh
Published: 13 January 2026, 6:46:06
Newly appointed United States (US) Ambassador to Bangladesh Brent T. Christensen has said he is keen to work closely with Dhaka to strengthen bilateral relations and promote peace and prosperity in the region.
Ambassador Christensen arrived in the capital on Monday with his wife, Deanne Dao, marking the start of his tenure as the 19th US ambassador to Bangladesh. In a brief statement released by the US Embassy in Dhaka, he described his appointment as an honour and said he was delighted to return to a country with which he has long personal and professional ties.
“I am thrilled to return to Bangladesh, a country I know well and remember fondly,” Christensen said, emphasizing his commitment to further deepening cooperation between the two countries.
The US Embassy formally welcomed him following his arrival, noting that he is eager to lead the embassy team, including both American and locally employed staff. He said his focus would be on enhancing US-Bangladesh relations, advancing the agenda of President Donald Trump, and contributing to a safer, stronger and more prosperous United States.
Christensen was confirmed by the US Senate as ambassador on December 18, 2025. Prior to this posting, he served as the senior official performing the duties of Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security from January to October 2025. In that role, he oversaw US efforts related to security cooperation, counterterrorism, counternarcotics, nonproliferation and security assistance worldwide.
A career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Christensen has previously served in Bangladesh as Counselor for Political and Economic Affairs at the US Embassy in Dhaka. His earlier assignments also include roles in US missions in the Philippines, El Salvador and Vietnam, as well as serving as foreign policy adviser to the commander of US Strategic Command.
His Washington-based experience includes positions in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs as Bangladesh country officer, and as a fellow with the US House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs. He also served on the Foreign Service Impasses Disputes Panel under the US Federal Labor Relations Authority.
Christensen is a distinguished graduate of the National War College and holds a master’s degree in national security strategy. He also earned a master’s degree in statistics from Texas A&M University and a bachelor’s degree in economics and managerial studies from Rice University. He speaks Spanish, German and Vietnamese, and has studied several other languages.
Before joining the US Foreign Service in 2002, Christensen worked as a management consultant in Houston and New York.
