The United States was closely monitoring the situation in Myanmar, noting that like others, they were very concerned over the growing tensions amid ongoing conflict, an official at the US embassy in Dhaka said on Monday.

‘We are following it very closely. Obviously, we are very concerned, as the world is concerned. We are also monitoring the situation very closely,’ said Stephen F Ibelli, spokesperson of the US embassy in Dhaka.

He made the remarks while responding to a question on the sideline of the opening of the first ever TechCamp in Bangladesh to empower young journalists.

Responding to a question, he said that they were looking to work with Bangladesh in key areas like economy and climate change. He said that the United States was the number one foreign direct investor in Bangladesh and the number one location for goods and services exported from Bangladesh.

‘I think that is very indicative of the interest of the United States and that is also indicative of the fact that we try to partner in the areas in which we have mutual interest,’ he added.

Asked if the US would withdraw the sanctions imposed on RAB in 2021 and review the visa policy announced in May last year, Stephen said he had no information in this regard, but that after the sanctions, the number of extrajudicial killings declined.

On the three-day TechCamp being hosted by the US Embassy in Dhaka, he said it aimed to empower 50 aspiring journalists to fact check, learn best practices on artificial intelligence, and combat misinformation.

Stephen Ibelli said, ‘Every day, we are exposed to so much information that we can barely keep track of. Oftentimes, we mix rumors with facts and truths. It is really easy to become confused. To deal with this challenge, we need to equip ourselves with critical thinking and the correct tools to identify.’

Those participating in the workshop can later compete with their ideas on fact-checking, and the best ideas will be supported by the US embassy.

Organised by the Educational and Cultural Affairs Bureau at the US Department of State, in partnership with the Global Youth Leadership Center Inc., TechCamp fosters technological innovation and empowers future leaders to address real-world challenges through pragmatic solutions.