Political parties 'unanimously silent' on US deal: Anu Muhammad

Professor Anu Muhammad has alleged that while political parties in parliament quarrel over various issues, they remain "unanimously silent" on the "slavery-like deal" signed by the interim government with the United States, driven by their own interests in power.

Speaking at a public rally organised by the Democratic Rights Committee at the Central Shaheed Minar on Friday, July 17, he demanded the cancellation of all agreements "contrary to the aspirations of the July mass uprising and against national interest."

Anu Muhammad said, "The trade agreement signed by the interim government with the United States just before the election is essentially an executive order of US President Donald Trump. Political parties are sacrificing national interest to support this move for their own power."

He said the deal was signed just three days before the election and was not made public. The 32-page document released by the US government is not an agreement but an American diktat on what Bangladesh must do. He claimed Bangladesh would be forced to import arms, agricultural products and other goods duty-free from the US, reducing government revenue and increasing tax and subsidy burdens on ordinary people.

Criticising the silence of major political parties, he said they are "unanimously silent" on this disastrous agreement for their own power interests. The notion that US support is needed to counter Indian dominance is completely wrong, he said, as the US, India and China are all deeply interconnected through multinational corporate interests.

He called for building public opinion to cancel the trade agreement and all other agreements claimed to be against national interest.