The North South University鈥檚 school of humanities and social sciences has hosted a lecture titled Bangladesh Facing US Reciprocal Tariffs: Challenge or Opportunity as part of its SHSS lecture series.
The keynote speaker was Fahmida Khatun, executive director of the Centre for Policy Dialogue, said a press release on Monday.
Fahmida Khatun offered a detailed analysis of the current trade relationship between the United States and Bangladesh.聽
She said that the recent executive order by the US president Donald Trump had raised the US tariffs significantly, posing new challenges for export-dependent countries like ours, particularly in the garments sector.
She also said that while the 90-day pause offered some relief, the uncertainty remained. 鈥楤angladesh must act strategically and that we have already initiated dialogue with the US, offering tariff concessions and proposing greater trade cooperation through the United States-Bangladesh Trade and Investment Cooperation Forum Agreement.鈥�
She emphasised that moving forward, aligning the trade practices, attracting investment, and expanding the export base would be essential to safeguard our economic interests in this shifting global landscape.
Professor AKM Waresul Karim, professor of accounting and finance and dean of the school of business and economics, served as discussant.聽
Waresul Karim spoke about policy-making in Bangladesh, emphasising the importance of reviewing the country鈥檚 domestic trade policies.
He also discussed the potential for establishing US Export Processing Zones in Bangladesh and stated that tariffs should only be imposed for fair reasons.
The event was moderated and presided over by Professor Abdur Rob Khan, treasurer and pro-vice-chancellor (in-charge) of North South University.
If this tariff policy is not changed, countries around the world, including the United States, may face another global recession, he said.
The opening speech was delivered by Professor Md Rizwanul Islam, professor of law, and dean of the school of humanities and social sciences at North South University.
