DHAKA: President Joe Biden said the US is willing to work with Bangladesh to help the South Asian nation achieve its economic goals, nearly a month after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was sworn in following an election boycotted by the opposition.

Biden made his comments in a letter to Hasina, Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud told reporters on Monday, adding through this letter ties between the two countries will advance further.

Hasina and her party won a fourth straight term in the Jan. 7 election, which the main opposition dismissed as a sham.

Biden’s government has been critical of Bangladesh’s democracy and human rights records, with the US State Department saying the poll was not free or fair.

“We welcome the letter written by President Biden. Through this letter our relationship will improve further and reach new heights,” Mahmud said.

“The United States is committed to supporting Bangladesh’s ambitious economic goals and partnering with Bangladesh on our shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Biden said in his letter, provided to reporters.