Days after India signed a trade deal with the United States, Bangladesh on Tuesday (February 10) agreed to a host of steep American demands. They include commitments to purchasing $3.5 billion of US agriculture products, like wheat, soy, cotton, and corn, $15 billion worth of energy products in 15 years, and procuring aircraft in lieu of zero reciprocal tariffs on certain textile and apparel goods. Washington has also lowered reciprocal tariffs on Dhaka to 19%, while its tariffs on India have been reduced to 18%. Dhaka, which is in the midst of a general election, sprang into action after a slew of Indian trade deals with the UK, US and EU that will particularly benefit labour-intensive sectors such as the textile and footwear sectors. This is concerning for Bangladesh as it is the second-largest textile exporter in the world after China. The sector is also Dhaka’s key foreign exchange earner. “The United States commits to establishing a mechanism that will allow for certain textile and apparel goods from Bangladesh to receive a zero reciprocal tariff …