Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and US President Joe Biden have talked about the "importance of improving our bilateral relationship across a range of issues, including climate change," on the sidelines of the recent G20 summit in New Delhi, India.

"They did talk about the importance of free and fair elections," National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby said in response to a question at a White House press briefing on Tuesday.

He was asked about the present relationship between the US and Bangladesh and President Biden's pull-aside meeting with Sheikh Hasina in New Delhi last month.

The official was initially asked about US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan's meetings with Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and whether Delhi-Ottawa ties had come up in their talks, to which Kirby replied that Washington would "certainly leave it to those two countries to talk about their bilateral relationship."

Then the journalist went on to ask Kirby about US-Bangladesh relations and Biden's pull-aside meeting with Sheikh Hasina.

"They did talk about the importance of free and fair elections," Kirby said in response.