Trump’s message emphasises sustaining “strong momentum” in US-Bangladesh trade relations, specifically urging implementation of the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade, which was hastily signed by the Yunus administration on February 9, 2026\u2014just three days before the general election.<\/p>\n\n\n
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This deal, which reduced certain US tariffs on Bangladeshi exports from 20% to 19% while granting exemptions for some apparel using US materials (and reciprocal access for American goods), has been widely criticised by activists and analysts as economically detrimental and geopolitically risky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tarique\u2019s Inaugural Address: Empty rhetoric amid unaddressed atrocities<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Chaos, Capitulation, Corruption: Yunus\u2019 559-day jihadist nightmare<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n How USAID funded extremism by using radical students in Bangladesh<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Critics argue it exposes Bangladesh to heavy obligations, hidden clauses, and potential long-term losses for farmers, workers, and the broader economy, while heightening tensions with China and effectively turning the country into a subservient partner\u2014or even a de facto economic colony\u2014of the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Adding to these worries, Trump explicitly pushes for “decisive action” to finalise routine defense agreements, including access to high-end American military equipment. He highlights foundational pacts like the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) and the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA), which the Awami League had firmly rejected to preserve strategic autonomy and avoid entanglement in great-power rivalries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What did the Biden administration seek from Sheikh Hasina?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n Senior journalist Probir Kumar Sarker observes that the Yunus interim period already left Bangladesh vulnerable through such rushed, opaque agreements that sidelined national interests in favour of external pressures. Now, with the BNP government\u2014historically seen as more aligned with Western powers\u2014taking charge under Tarique Rahman, there is legitimate fear that these divisive deals will be rubber-stamped rather than reviewed or revoked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yunus\u2019 Suicidal Sellout To US: A trade deal that mortgages the nation\u2019s future<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n US Tariff: West\u2019s puppet Yunus under fire ahead of hasty, secret deal<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/dailyrepublicbd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/corruption-yunus.jpg\")