Leaders of the Communist Party of Bangladesh on Monday urged the government to scrap the trade deal signed with the United States during the tenure of the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government.

They made the demand at a rally organised by the party’s Dhaka south city unit at Purana Paltan intersection in the capital, calling for the cancellation of the Agreement on Reciprocal Tariff between Bangladesh and the United States, which was signed in Washington on February 9, just three days before the 13th parliamentary elections.

CPB control commission member Abu Syeed termed the business deal with the US unequal and contrary to Bangladesh’s national interests.

Describing the deal as controversial, he said that it contained non-disclosure clauses that were harmful to the country’s economy.

He called on the government to take immediate steps to scrap the deal to protect the national economy.

CPB presidium member Joly Talukder alleged that the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government had signed the deal to satisfy the US.

She called on all political parties to unite to compel the government to scrap the deal.

Presided over by Dhaka south city CPB president Saiful Islam Samir, the rally was also addressed, among others,  by the party’s central leaders Manzur Moin, Jamshed Anwar Tapan and Tridib Saha.

The rally was followed by a march towards Old Dhaka.

Meanwhile, the Dhaka North city unit of the CPB also held a rally in front of Azampur Primary School in the capital.

The party also held rallies in districts across the country to press home the same demand, according to a press release issued by the CPB on Monday.