The United States has virtually granted itself de facto control over Bangladesh’s economic relationships with the wider world. The agreement does, however, offer one significant benefit: Bangladeshi garments made with US cotton and man-made fibre would get zero tariffs in the US market.

The interim government has disclosed parts of the recently signed trade agreement with the United States, under which the reciprocal tariff on Bangladeshi goods was reduced from 20 percent to 19 percent after nine months of negotiation.

The real problem for Bangladesh’s $47 billion garment industry lies deep in the technical details of the new trade deal with the US.

The association will convene an urgent meeting to determine the next course of action regarding the deal