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Published : 29 Apr 2026, 12:23 PM
Independent lawmaker Rumeen Farhana has questioned the validity of a trade agreement signed between Bangladesh and the United States, demanding that the document be placed before parliament for review.
On Wednesday, she took the floor after the Prime Minister’s Questions session in parliament, presided over by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, and spoke on the issue.
She said the agreement had been signed ahead of the national election, objections were raised at the time over clauses seen as against Bangladesh’s interests, and the government still has the option to cancel it within 60 days if it chooses.
Rumeen noted that a meeting took place the previous day between the US ambassador and the commerce minister, where the envoy spoke about the trade deal.
According to her, the ambassador referred to the imbalance in imports and exports between the two countries, Bangladesh’s commitment to importing agricultural and energy products, improving the business climate and policy reforms to attract investment.
She said Bangladesh exports far more to the US than it imports, creating a large trade deficit, which the agreement seeks to address.
Raising concerns over the timing, she said the deal was signed on Feb 9, three days before the Feb 12 vote.
She said civil society and think tank circles had argued at the time that an unelected government should not sign such an agreement, and that it should be left to an elected administration.
The Brahmanbaria-2 MP claimed that the agreement contains numerous provisions that go against the country's welfare.
She expressed regret that the then interim government ignored calls to wait for an elected administration and proceeded with the signing.
As she attempted to elaborate, Speaker Hafiz intervened, ruling that her speech did not qualify as a point of order.
He explained that according to Rule 301, a point of order must relate to ongoing parliamentary business or the maintenance of order within the house.
He suggested that she submit a formal notice instead.
Even after the ruling, Rumeen sought an additional minute, during which she said the BNP government could cancel the agreement within 60 days if it wished, urging that the deal be brought before parliament.
The speaker, however, stood by his decision and declined to accept the matter as a point of order.
