DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is in Bangladesh to press tolerance, unity, democracy and development in one of the world's most impoverished nations.
Clinton arrived Saturday in the capital of Dhaka, which has been increasingly tense in recent weeks with general strikes protesting the disappearance of an opposition leader and a crackdown on dissent. Her visit, however, is expected to bring a brief respite. In a goodwill gesture, the opposition has suspended protests for the occasion.
The U.S. sees Bangladesh as a potentially important voice for moderation among Muslim majority nations.
American officials say Clinton's trip, the first by a secretary of state since 2003, is aimed bringing ties with the Muslim majority country to a new level.
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