Dhaka, March 20: Opening a new chapter in their bilateral relations, the US and Bangladesh today decided to intensify cooperation in trade and energy sectors, with Washington pledging $97 million as food aid to the impoverished country.US President Bill Clinton, who had an hour-long meeting with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, also announced $14 million in assistance to the country to help it reduce child labour and improve working conditions."Today only we begin the partnership" in trade and other spheres and economic ties between the two countries would be strengthened, Clinton, the first US President to visit Bangladesh after its independence in 1971, told reporters here.Sheikh Hasina welcomed the new US food assistance as also a $ 84 million programme to promote clean energy initiatives for Bangladesh, India and Nepal, with some $50 million to fund trade initiatives.She said the two countries have agreed to intensify cooperation on developing Bangladesh's vast natural gas reserves but ruled out export of gas till the domestic requirements were met for 50 years."On the question of export of gas, our position remains that after fully meeting our domestic requirements and ensuring gas reserves for 50 years for use of future generations, the remaining surplus gas will be used for export," she said.Hasina's comment was a virtual disappointment to US and British petroleum companies and the World Bank which have been urging the country to open up its largely untapped gas resources for export.The opposition in Bangladesh has warned against leasing gas fields to foreign companies and exporting gas to India.As the US President arrived in Dhaka amid unprecedented security, some 400 students at Dhaka University protested against American "imperialism", saying that Clinton "is here to rob our natural resources."Clinton, who was given a warm welcome on his arrival on a day-long visit by Bangladesh President Shahabuddin Ahmed and Sheikh Hasina, appreciated the recent ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) by Dhaka.Hasina requested Clinton to expedite the deportation of three killers of the country's founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rehman now living in the US.A Dhaka court has sentenced to death 15 former army officials, including the three believed to be in the US, for the 1975 assassination of Mujibur Rehman."We stressed that the killers have terrorist links and that they should not be given refuge in the greatest democracy of the world, a country that upholds the rule of law," Sheikh Hasina said."I am touched by President Clinton's sympathetic response," said Hasina, who is daughter of Mujibur Rehman.Earlier, security concerns forced cancellation of Clinton's visit to a nearby Joypura village, where the locals were to showcase a highly-successful micro-credit programme that has made Bangladesh a model for raising living standards among the world's poorest through small, collateral-free loans.Officials cited "credible threat" of danger from flying over unguarded forest and rice fields as the reason for the cancellation.Also scrapped was a wreath-laying ceremony at the national martyr's memorial honouring the Bengalis who died fighting for independence from Pakistan in 1971.
