Jamaat chief Shafiqur calls for pragmatic approach to US-Bangladesh trade pact

Criticism continues over the deal signed before the national election

Jamaat-e-Islami chief Shafiqur Rahman has called for the trade agreement between Bangladesh and the United States to be viewed through the lens of reality.

Speaking at Dhaka’s Shahjalal International Airport on Saturday after returning from Japan, the Leader of the Opposition said the deal is not the only agreement of its kind and there are many others like it.

The interim government led by Muhammad Yunus signed the trade pact with the US on Feb 9, just three days before the parliamentary polls.

The move has sparked widespread criticism, with opponents arguing the deal “undermines” the country's interests.

While the 131 conditions tied to the agreement are yet to be fully implemented, the government has already signed deals to import goods from the US, including Boeing aircraft.

Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, who served as the national security advisor to the Yunus government during the signing of the pact, claimed that both the BNP and Jamaat gave their “consent” to the deal.