Signing a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United States can be a long-term solution for Bangladesh's trade growth, as the country is the largest export destination for Bangladeshi goods, an economist said today.  

Many believe such a deal may not be possible, but that is not the case, as everything depends on negotiation, said Mustafizur Rahman, distinguished fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD).  

He made the comments at a dialogue titled "Trump Reciprocal Tariffs and Bangladesh: Implications and Response", organised by the CPD at the Lakeshore Hotel in Dhaka.  

Rahman pointed out that the US already has FTAs with countries like Costa Rica, Bahrain, and Jordan. "So, Bangladesh can also negotiate a deal with the US," he said.  

The economist pointed out that Bangladesh will need to undertake major reforms as it prepares to graduate from the least developed country (LDC) group. 

"Those same reforms will be useful if Bangladesh moves forward with an FTA negotiation with the US," he added.  

He also mentioned that an FTA with the US would be more beneficial than deals with China or India, as Bangladesh would lose a significant amount of revenue from import duties if such agreements were signed with its regional neighbours.