The Bangladesh Air Force on Thursday hosted a joint musical performance by its band and the US Army's 25th Infantry Division "Tropic Lightning" band at the Air Force Museum in Dhaka.

The event was organised as part of the US Embassy’s “Freedom 250 America Week” celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of the United States.

Speaking at the event, US Ambassador to Bangladesh Brent T. Christensen today said military-to-military cooperation and strong people-to-people ties remain the foundation of the Bangladesh-US partnership, describing music as a unique bridge that brings the two nations closer.

He said military musicians are among the finest diplomats, as they communicate through the universal language of music.

“We’re thrilled to be here for this event with the Bangladesh Air Force, our good friends and partners,” the ambassador said, thanking the Bangladesh Air Force for hosting the joint performance.

Referring to the Air Force Museum as an ideal venue, Christensen said the setting itself symbolised the close partnership between the air forces of the two countries.

He said the collaboration between the Bangladesh Air Force Band and the US Army’s 25th Infantry Division Band reflected the strong relationship that exists between the two militaries.

The ambassador said that, although members of the two bands met for the first time on the day of the performance, they immediately connected through the shared language of music.

“For them to come together and collaborate like this is really a testament to the kind of ties that we can build quickly between our military and between our peoples for the betterment of both our nations,” he said.

Christensen said such exchanges demonstrate that bilateral relations extend well beyond defence cooperation and are firmly rooted in people-to-people connections.

He said these deeper human ties underpin all aspects of Bangladesh-US cooperation and continue to strengthen the overall relationship.

The ambassador also expressed appreciation to all participants for joining the “Freedom 250 America Week” celebrations and invited people to take part in additional events to be held across Bangladesh over the coming week and throughout the remainder of the year as part of the United States’ 250th anniversary observances.

The event was attended by US Embassy officials, Bangladesh Air Force personnel, invited guests, and members of the media.