We Demand Parliamentary Review of the Bangladesh-US Trade Agreement Before It Takes Effect
Download PDFConstitution Watchdog, a constitutional research and advocacy think tank based in Dhaka, calls upon the Government of Bangladesh to immediately place the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade signed with the United States on 9 February 2026 before the national Parliament, as required by Article 145A of the Constitution of Bangladesh.
We also express our full support for the public interest writ petition filed before the High Court Division on 4 May 2026 by Supreme Court lawyers Mohammad Maidul Islam Polok and Subir Nandi Das, which challenges the constitutional validity of this agreement. We regard this legal action as a necessary and courageous step in defence of the sovereignty of the people of Bangladesh.
The Constitution Has Been Bypassed
Article 145A of our Constitution requires that all treaties signed with foreign states must be submitted to the President and placed before Parliament. This step has not been taken. The agreement is now moving toward implementation without Parliament having seen it, debated it, or approved it. This is not a procedural gap. It is a constitutional violation. Constitution Watchdog demands this be corrected without delay.
The Agreement Is Structurally Unequal
Our review of the full text of this agreement finds it deeply imbalanced. The agreement mentions United States interests 131 times. Bangladesh’s interests are mentioned six times. This alone tells the story.
Bangladesh has been required to accept American food and medicine approvals without independent review by our own regulatory bodies. American genetically modified crops will be allowed into our market without any pre-approval process on our side. Our Parliament has been directed by a foreign state to amend our own labour laws as a contractual condition. Our right to challenge US trade policies at the World Trade Organisation has been signed away. Our nuclear energy procurement choices have been restricted based on phrases that the United States alone will define.
The enforcement mechanism in the agreement runs in one direction only. If the United States is unhappy, it can reimpose punishing tariffs on Bangladesh. Bangladesh has no equivalent power. This is not a partnership. This is a compliance arrangement dressed in the language of a trade deal.
The Legal Ground Has Shifted
The United States Supreme Court has struck down the very tariff orders that were used to pressure Bangladesh into signing this agreement. Malaysia has already declared a similar agreement null and void. The legal and diplomatic situation has changed significantly since February 2026. Bangladesh now has stronger ground to demand renegotiation or modification.
The agreement itself, under Article 6.2, allows either party to request reasonable modifications. Under Article 6.6, the agreement does not take full legal effect until both sides formally complete their domestic legal procedures. That window remains open. The government must not close it through silence.
Our Demands
Constitution Watchdog formally and publicly demands the following:
- The Government of Bangladesh must immediately submit this agreement to the President and cause it to be laid before Parliament under Article 145A of the Constitution.
- Parliament must constitute a dedicated Select Committee to conduct a full review of every provision of this agreement and present its findings within 90 days.
- The Government must not exchange the entry-into-force notification under Article 6.6 of the agreement until Parliament has completed its review and given its approval.
- The Government must invoke Article 6.2 to formally request modifications, including a bilateral dispute settlement mechanism, defined key terms, and a binding zero-tariff commitment for our readymade garments sector.
- A complete and accurate Bangla translation of the full agreement must be published and made freely available to the people of Bangladesh without further delay.
The people of Bangladesh did not authorise the surrender of their constitutional rights through a trade agreement signed in secret, three days before a national election. The elected Parliament of Bangladesh must now assert its authority. Constitution Watchdog stands with the people and will pursue every lawful avenue to ensure that it does.
