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Published : 06 May 2026, 04:09 PM
Finance Advisor Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir has defended the recent aircraft deal with US aviation giant Boeing as a move to bolster bilateral relations following questions over whether the agreement was rushed to facilitate a broader trade pact.
The advisor met with Brendan Lynch, the assistant US trade representative for South and Central Asia, in Dhaka on Wednesday.
Speaking after the meeting, Titumir explained that the agreement contains several elements aimed at boosting bilateral cooperation between the two nations, expressing a desire to take the ties to new heights.
He noted that Bangladesh must honour international norms and the commitments made through different bilateral and international treaties.
The advisor said more discussion is needed on the issue.
“We are focusing on expanding the consultation mechanisms within the agreement so that Bangladesh’s interests can be better prioritised through improved processes.”
He added, “The United States is our largest export market for a single product. We want to expand that market to include more products.”
According to him, Bangladesh is maintaining similar engagement with other countries.
“We are holding meetings with Japan, China, Korea and others in the region,” he said. “You may have noticed that meetings are taking place on the same day with neighbouring countries and other Asian countries, including Japan.”
Titumir added that the foreign minister, finance minister and he himself are travelling to different countries with a common goal of advancing Bangladesh’s development.
“The focus is on creating new markets, increasing capacity, and expanding our presence in those markets,” he said.
During the discussions with the US delegation, the advisor floated proposals for cooperation in pharmaceuticals and technical fields.
"I reminded them that the US has supported us in various fields in the past, such as education and agricultural research. We want these areas of cooperation to grow," he said.
The visit by the US trade delegation, led by Lynch, comes amid domestic criticism of the Reciprocal Trade Agreement (RTA) signed by the interim government on Feb 9, just days before the national election.
The pact reportedly imposes 131 conditions on Bangladesh, while the US must comply with six.
On Monday, lawyer Md Maidul Islam Polok filed a writ petition with the High Court challenging the validity of the trade deal.
The petition describes the agreement as "manifestly unreasonable and structurally unequal”, arguing it is detrimental to national interests and harmful to the public.
Separately, State Minister for Civil Aviation M Rashiduzzaman Millat said the Boeing deal aims to bring aircraft of international standard into the national fleet.
“Our fleet has aircraft operating internationally, but not all meet international standards,” he said. “To achieve that standard, we have already signed for 14 Boeing aircraft and will lease more.”
