US Bangladesh Secret Deal: After the recent trade deal between India and America, now another important movement is being seen in South Asia. India’s neighboring country Bangladesh has also taken steps towards a trade agreement with America. The special thing is that Bangladesh is going to seal an allegedly secret trade deal with America on February 9, and this development has come just three days before the parliamentary elections to be held there. The timing of this agreement, about a week after the India-US trade deal, has raised serious questions among the industry and policy experts of Bangladesh.

Why questions on trade deal?

The biggest concern regarding this proposed deal is its transparency and timing. According to Bangladeshi media reports, the terms of this agreement with America will not be made public and its draft will be kept completely confidential. Major daily newspapers of Bangladesh prothom alo According to him, making such a big and far-reaching agreement in the last phase of the government’s tenure is creating an uncomfortable situation. If this deal is signed on February 9, it will be a decision just before the end of the interim government and voting for the 13th parliamentary election.

The concern of the industry has also increased because after the recent trade deal between India and America, the 50 percent tariff imposed on India has been reduced to 18 percent. It is believed that the detailed details of the India-America agreement will be made public soon. Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal himself has indicated that the details of the bilateral trade agreement may be revealed in the next four to five days and an executive order may also be issued by the US to implement the 18 percent tariff. On the contrary, the apprehensions have deepened due to the Bangladesh-America deal being kept completely confidential.

Why is concern being raised?

Business organizations in Bangladesh fear that this agreement may have a negative impact on many key sectors, especially readymade garments and export-based industries. Enamul Haq Khan, senior vice president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), has raised questions on the timing of this deal, saying that such a big and long-term impact trade deal should have been done by the post-election government. He believes that taking such decisions by the temporary government can create problems for both the future government and the industry.

Overall, after the India-US trade deal, this step of Bangladesh is being considered important from the point of view of regional trade balance, but the way this agreement is being done just before the elections and without public information, it has increased the uneasiness within Bangladesh at both political and economic levels. In the coming days, it will be important to see what are the terms of this secret deal and how deep its impact is on the economy and industries of Bangladesh.

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Bangladesh Trade Deal: Bangladesh is also ready to follow India’s footsteps. After India, now Bangladesh is going to sign a trade agreement with America on 9 February. This deal will happen just 72 hours before the elections to be held on February 12. This deal is being done in a secret manner. The terms of the deal have also not been disclosed, due to which it is being criticized a lot.

Why is Bangladesh in such a hurry?

After the India-US trade agreement, Bangladesh is in a hurry to finalize this deal. Under the deal with India, the tariff on import of Indian goods in America has been reduced from 25 percent to 18 percent. Now Bangladesh fears losing market share to India in the American markets.

In fact, Bangladesh’s economy largely depends on readymade garment exports to America, which is about 90 percent of its total American exports. This deal of Bangladesh with America is being done after the imposition of 37 percent tariff in April last year, which was first reduced to 35 percent in July and then to 20 percent in August. It is expected that after this trade deal, the American tariff on Bangladesh will be further reduced to 15 percent.

Why is Bangladesh hiding the deal?

Additionally, the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus signed a formal non-disclosure agreement with the US in mid-2025, stipulating that all tariff and trade related negotiations be kept confidential. No draft of this agreement has been shared with either the public, the Parliament or the main stakeholders of the industry.

According to Prothom Alo, a local newspaper in Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka, in August last year, Commerce Advisor SK Bashir Uddin had said, “There will be nothing in the agreement that is against the interests of the country. It will also be made public after America’s consent.”

Crisis on Bangladesh’s economy!

Bangladesh exports textiles to America on a large scale every year, which is approximately equal to 7 to 8.4 billion dollars. This is about 96 percent of the goods sent from Bangladesh to America. In contrast, Bangladesh buys only about $2 billion worth of goods from America.

Overall, the garment sector in Bangladesh is the backbone of the country’s economy, providing livelihood to 4 to 5 million people and America is its biggest customer in this sector. If Bangladesh’s ‘secret’ deal does not match or better India’s 18 percent deal, American buyers may shift their orders to India, putting millions of Bangladeshi jobs at risk.

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