Parties maintain ‘unity of silence’ over US trade deal

Economist Professor Anu Muhammad yesterday said that, despite their differences on various other issues, all political parties in the parliament had maintained a “unity of silence” over the US-Bangladesh trade agreement.

Speaking at a rally on the Central Shaheed Minar premises, he claimed that the deal, signed by the interim government shortly before the national election, was essentially an “order from US President Donald Trump”.

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He said that sacrificing national interest, political parties have supported this move for their own political gain.

The Democratic Rights Committee, a platform of left-leaning intellectuals, organised the rally to demand the cancellation of the US trade pact and other agreements that “contradict national interests and the aspirations of the July uprising”.

Anu Muhammad said the agreement with the US government had been kept hidden from the public, as it was not a genuine agreement but a US dictate spelling out what Bangladesh must do. Under its terms, he said, Bangladesh would be compelled to import a range of products, including weapons and agricultural goods, from the US duty-free, regardless of the country’s actual needs or the cost involved.

This will reduce government revenue and increase the tax and subsidy burden on ordinary citizens, he warned.

He also dismissed the notion that US support is needed to counter Indian hegemony, noting that the US, India, and China are deeply interconnected through multinational corporate interests.

Urging the public to unite to scrap the agreement and protect national sovereignty, he announced a series of nationwide protests, including gatherings of women and indigenous communities, musical processions, and art exhibitions.

Cultural groups including Udichi, Samageet, Prachyanat, and Bibartan performed at the event, while Tahsin Reza, Ananya Mahmud, and Masud Monirul recited poems.