Why was the interim government so impatient to sign a trade deal with the US: Anu Muhammad

Eminent economist Prof Anu Muhammad has questioned why the interim government was so impatient to sign a trade deal with the US?

He said, 'By signing such a deal, Bangladesh has been put in a bind. If they wanted to, they could have said, an elected government is coming, you can discuss with the elected government.'

Anu Muhammad also said that the enthusiasm of the interim government was extremely high, even during the budget.

Regarding the agreement with US-based Starlink, he said, 'Looking at the enthusiasm, it seems that they played the role of lobbyists of various companies.'

He called on the new government to reconsider the agreement. He warned, 'The agreement could push Bangladesh's economic future towards a major crisis. It is important to have open discussions at the national level and, if necessary, to reconsider the agreement.’

Giving an example of the terms of the agreement, Anu Muhammad said that the government is claiming that the ready-made garment sector will get duty-free benefits if it imports cotton from the United States. But there are many conditions and uncertainties. The price of cotton will be high, and the export volume is not certain.

Mosahida Sultana, associate professor of the accounting department of Dhaka University, said that the agreement signed at the last minute by the interim government could put the country's energy security, industrial policy and economic interests at risk. The condition to limit subsidies is also worrying.

She advocated for the cancellation or reconsideration of the agreement.

Supreme Court lawyer Jyotirmoy Barua said about the legal and moral validity of the agreement, these agreements are examples of unfair contract terms. It is important to re-examine them. It is now the demand of the hour to review them through a full discussion in parliament.

The discussion meeting was moderated by Zakir Hossain, CEO of Nagorik Udyog. The keynote address was delivered by Barkat Ullah Maruf, coordinator of Bangladesh LDC Graduation Watch. Development Economics Researcher Maha Mirza was also present.