BKMEA President Calls US Trade Deal ‘One-Sided and Unethical’

Mohammad Hatem, president of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), has described the proposed trade and cooperation agreement with the United States as anti-national and one-sided. He said the structure of the deal places a heavy burden of conditions on Bangladesh while offering minimal benefits in return.

Speaking exclusively to Agami Somoy on Monday, he expressed concern over the imbalance in the agreement and strongly urged a reconsideration.

The BKMEA president said the proposed deal includes 131 mandatory conditions for Bangladesh. In contrast, the United States has only five to six obligations.

Calling the agreement, a ‘one-sided imposition’, Mohammad Hatem said, “This cannot be an equitable trade agreement in any way. When one side carries such a heavy load of conditions, it will effectively increase administrative and economic pressure on our industry.”

The most controversial aspect of the deal involves political and strategic obligations. Under one provision, Bangladesh would be required to support U.S. sanctions or trade embargoes imposed on any third country.

Expressing concern over this clause, the BKMEA president said, “This is not just a commercial issue; it directly affects our sovereign foreign policy. As a result, Bangladesh’s good relations and trade balance with countries in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia could be disrupted.”

Business leaders have described the proposed tariff-free benefit for using U.S. cotton or raw materials as an illusion. They said that Bangladesh currently sources high-quality cotton from global markets at competitive prices. They warned that restricting sourcing to specific countries would increase production costs and create major risks in the supply chain.

Mohammad Hatem also said that Bangladesh has long exported ready-made garments by paying duties without Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) benefits. He said it is more important to focus on alternative markets and strategies rather than pursuing minimal advantages under excessive conditions.

He also questioned the timing of finalizing such an important agreement just ahead of the national election. “In such major decisions, stakeholders should be consulted and transparency should be ensured in the public domain, which has not been done here,” he said.

BKMEA leaders have demanded immediate revision of the ‘one-sided and unethical’ aspects of the agreement. They called for fresh negotiations, if necessary, to restore balance, adding that Bangladesh should not enter into any deal that sacrifices its export sector and national interests.