Economists, business leaders urge govt to review ‘one-sided’ BD-US trade deal

Business Desk :

Economists and businesses urged the new government to take measures, in consultation with stakeholders, to review the recently signed trade agreement between Bangladesh and the US, terming the deal one-sided and imposed.

They also proposed hiring a US-based lobbyist firm to check and balance the deal’s amendment conditions, which are mostly in favor of America, from legal perspective.

Before that, they suggested a better understanding of the deal by businesses, the government, and other related stakeholders, saying the deal is unlikely to bring any positive impact to the country and its economy.

They also alleged that the past interim government signed the deal hurriedly, just a couple of days before the election, without any discussion with businesses and other stakeholders.

The suggestions and observations came at a discussion meeting held on Tuesday on the ‘US-Bangladesh Reciprocal Trade Agreement,’ organized by the Bangladesh Chamber of Industries (BCI) at its auditorium in the city.

Moderated by BCI president Anwar-ul-Alam Chowdhury, Research and Policy Integration for Development (RAPID) chairman Dr MA Razzaque, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) executive director Dr Fahmida Khatun, South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (SANEM) executive director Dr Selim Raihan, Leathergoods and Footwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association Bangladesh (LFMEAB) president Syed Nasim Manzur, BKMEA former president Fazlul Hoque and BGMEA director Sheikh Hossain Muhammad Mustafiz, among others, spoke at the meeting.