Left-leaning organisations in the country have called for the cancellation of the recently signed trade agreement with the United States, denouncing it as “unequal” and “against national interests.”
On Friday afternoon, the Bangladesh Chhatra Union, Bangladesh Jubo Union, and Bangladesh Udichi Shilpigosthi organised a protest rally in front of the National Museum in Shahbagh, Dhaka, demanding the scrapping of the controversial deal.
Protesters at the rally condemned the trade pact, which they referred to as a “bondage agreement,” and called for its immediate annulment.
They also raised concerns over alleged plans to lease out the country’s strategic assets, such as ports, to foreign entities, urging the public to resist such actions.
Bahauddin Shuvo, general secretary of Bangladesh Chhatra Union, criticised the deal in the context of the ongoing global energy crisis. He pointed out that Bangladesh’s efforts to import oil from Russia were thwarted by the need for US approval, but no clear response had been received from Washington.
He emphasised that as an independent nation, Bangladesh should not accept foreign interference in its trade and foreign policies.
He also condemned the recent trade agreement, asserting that it was not based on equality and undermined the country’s national interests.
Shuvo expressed frustration with the silence of both the ruling and opposition parties on this matter, suggesting that political parties were unified in their disregard for national sovereignty.
He concluded by calling for a mass movement against the “unjust” agreement, warning that failure to back down from it would lead Bangladesh into deeper economic, trade, and diplomatic crises.
Khondokar Asaduzzaman Masum, president of the Bangladesh Jubo Union, criticised Muhammad Yunus, claiming that after his rise to power following a bloody uprising, Yunus had become a proponent of US interests.
Masum accused Yunus of securing US strategic goals over an 18-month period and facilitating tax exemptions for his organisation while signing an agreement that compromised Bangladesh’s sovereignty.
Masum fiercely rejected the deal, calling it “a slavery agreement” and demanded that the government immediately withdraw from it.
Amit Ranjan Dey, general secretary of Bangladesh Udichi Shilpigosthi, accused the interim government of signing 14 agreements over 18 months that were detrimental to the nation’s interests. He claimed that Muhammad Yunus had, in effect, betrayed Bangladesh’s sovereignty through the trade agreement signed just days before the national elections.
Amit Ranjan also raised concerns over the economic consequences of the agreement, stating that Bangladesh was now forced to buy substandard wheat at inflated prices and face increased dependence on US approval for energy imports.
He remarked, “This cannot be anything other than slavery,” warning that the deal would harm the livelihoods of ordinary Bangladeshis.
