, Oct. 23 -- Brent Christensen, nominee for U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh, on Thursday said the people of Bangladesh will go to the polls early next year - the country's most consequential election in decades - to choose a new government and a new path forward.

"The United States supports Bangladesh in its journey toward a bright and democratic future," he told the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations in his opening statement during his nomination hearing.

If confirmed, Christensen said, he looks forward to leading the Embassy Dhaka team to build strong ties with both the current Interim Government and its democratically elected successor to advance the U.S.- Bangladesh relationship.

Christensen of Virginia, a career member of the Sen...