Dhaka, April 18 -- Economist and Distinguished Fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Dr. Debapriya Bhattacharya, has claimed that the trade agreement signed by the interim government with the United States undermines Bangladesh's energy sovereignty.

Speaking as the chief guest at a pre-budget shadow parliament debate organized by Debate for Democracy in the capital, Dr. Debapriya criticized the restrictive nature of the deal, UNB reports.

"The trade agreement with the US is compromising our energy sovereignty. While the new government claims it will not pursue country-specific foreign policies, this agreement dictates from whom we can purchase oil. Requiring permission for such decisions is a direct hit to our independence," h...