Govt Favours Review of US Trade Deal Over Cancellation

Prime Minister’s Information and Broadcasting Adviser Dr. Jahed Ur Rahman has said the government is not in favour of cancelling the Bangladesh-United States reciprocal trade agreement, but is instead considering a review of several provisions through negotiations with Washington.

Speaking at a regular media briefing at the Secretariat on Tuesday, the adviser said the government is examining the agreement carefully and may seek revisions to clauses considered potentially harmful to Bangladesh’s national interests.

The “Agreement on Reciprocal Trade” between Bangladesh and the United States was signed on February 9, just three days before the national parliamentary election. Since then, the deal has sparked widespread debate among economists, political observers and business stakeholders over its possible long-term economic and diplomatic implications.

Responding to questions from journalists, Dr. Jahed Ur Rahman said the agreement itself contains provisions that allow both cancellation and amendment.

“If you look at the agreement, there is an option to terminate it with a 60-day notice. There is also another provision that allows the two countries to revise different conditions of the agreement through mutual discussions,” he said.

The adviser added that the government is leaning more towards reviewing and renegotiating specific clauses rather than scrapping the agreement outright.

“We believe the agreement should first go through an official review process. Some provisions may need reconsideration if they are found to be problematic or potentially harmful to the state,” he said.

Dr. Jahed Ur Rahman also revealed that he had already discussed the matter with the Prime Minister and that internal consultations are ongoing within the government.

“This is a very significant agreement. Naturally, we understand the possible consequences of cancelling it altogether, as well as the context in which it was signed,” he said.

He warned that cancelling the agreement outright could create fresh tensions in bilateral trade relations and revive disputes over reciprocal tariffs between the two countries.

“We would prefer to enter negotiations with the United States after completing our own assessment. We want to identify the areas that may negatively affect national interests and seek revisions through discussion,” he added.

Officials present at the briefing included Chief Information Officer Syed Abdal Ahmed and Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Mohammad Yasin.