EU postpones PCA talks with Bangladesh due to unrest

The European Union (EU) has postponed the first round of the negotiations on the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) with Bangladesh due to the ongoing unrest.

The meeting was scheduled to be held in September.

“In light of the prevailing situation, the first round of the negotiations on the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement for September has been postponed with no later date fixed as yet,” a spokesperson of the EU head of delegation in Dhaka told Dhaka Tribune.

The government imposed curfew following a violent protest centering students' movement related to quota in civil service jobs.

EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell earlier criticised the government for reported “shoot on sight policy” of the government to control the protesters.

The government, however, said the talks had been delayed to November as they clashed with the United Nations General Assembly session that begins on Sept. 10.

“This delay was due to the UN General Assembly and was decided well before the recent violence,” said Uttam Kumar Karmaker, an additional secretary at the Economic Relations Division of Bangladesh’s finance ministry, told Reuters.

The EU did not immediately comment on Bangladesh’s response.

The cooperation deal seeks to enhance trade, economic and developmental relations between Bangladesh and the EU.

Bangladesh enjoys everything but arms market access to the EU which is the main trading partner for the country, accounting for 20.7% of Bangladesh’s trade in 2023.