Brent Christensen, the newly appointed US Ambassador to Bangladesh, is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka on January 12, according to diplomatic sources. Officials from the US Embassy have already met with Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to coordinate his credential presentation to the President soon after his arrival. Preparations are underway to ensure Christensen can begin his duties within days of reaching Dhaka, just one month before the country’s upcoming 13th national election and referendum.

Christensen was nominated by US President Donald Trump in September and confirmed by the Senate in December. In his Senate hearing, he emphasized strengthening Bangladesh’s democratic process, human rights, Rohingya crisis response, and economic cooperation. He stated that the United States would support Bangladesh’s democratic future and work to reduce trade barriers.

A senior member of the US Foreign Service, Christensen previously served as Political and Economic Counselor at the US Embassy in Dhaka from 2019 to 2021 and as Foreign Policy Advisor at the US Strategic Command from 2022 to 2025. The ambassadorial post had remained vacant since Peter Haas’s departure in July last year, with Tracy Ann Jacobson serving as chargé d’affaires.