The US government has described Bangladesh as a valued partner in the war on terror. “With the fourth largest Muslim population in the world, Bangladesh is a valued partner in the war on terror, a moderate voice in regional and international fora, and a leading contributor to UN peacekeeping missions,” Assistant secretary of state Christina Rocca told the US House of Representatives committee on international relations on June 22. “Yet political rivalries and one of the most significant corruption problems in the world threaten democratic stability and impede economic growth” in Bangladesh, she said. Washington is, however, “pleased to see that the opposition party has returned to Parliament”, Rocca said. “This was an important step towards finding a way out of the political gridlock the country was in and maintaining democracy.”