BNP, Jamaat gave consent before Bangladesh-US trade deal, says foreign minister

He rejects criticism, says major parties were consulted before the agreement

Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman has defended the controversial trade agreement with the United States, claiming that Bangladesh’s two major political parties -- the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami -- had given their "consent" before the deal was finalised.

Addressing criticism from analysts concerning the interim government's mandate to sign such an accord, Khalilur clarified that the process was transparent.

"The US Trade Representative spoke with the heads of our two main parties before the election, and they agreed to it," he told reporters following a meeting with US Assistant Secretary of State Paul Kapur. "It is not as if we did this in the dark."

Khalilur, who served as national security advisor in the Muhammad Yunus-led administration before becoming foreign minister in the new BNP government, dismissed claims that the deal was rushed.

He noted that negotiations began in February 2025 following a trade deficit crisis.

"This was not settled just three days before the polls," he said, detailing a timeline of discussions since April 2025 regarding reciprocal tariffs and "rules of origin" for garments made with US cotton.

The deal follows a period of heightened trade tension after US President Donald Trump imposed steep tariffs in April 2025.

While Bangladesh initially faced a 37 percent hike, negotiations reduced the rate to 20 percent by August.

The final agreement, signed just before the interim government’s term ended, further reduced the rate by 1 percent in exchange for purchasing Boeing aircraft and increasing imports of US wheat, cotton, and soybeans.

The Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) recently expressed "shock" over the deal, questioning how an unelected government could commit a future elected administration to such long-term obligations.