Leaders of the major opposition Awami League however declined to comment on the memorandum, saying they would thoroughly examine it first before expressing their opinion about it.

Talking to The Daily Star Workers Party President Rashed Khan Menon said, "It [the MOI] is clearly an intervention in our domestic affairs. The signing of it has allowed the US to interfere in our sovereignty."

The left-leaning leaders also claimed that as the four-party coalition government was collaborating with the US in order to conceal the fact that it had failed to curb the groups acting against the interests of its friendly countries.

"It surely is the government's responsibility to initiate steps against groups involved in activities harmful to any friendly state to Bangladesh," Menon said.

According to the MOI, the Bangladesh government will protect American interests in the country and extend full cooperation to the US in identifying individuals or groups suspected of working against US interests.

Communist Party of Bangladesh Secretary General Mujahidul Islam Selim dubbed the MOI as an expression of the imperialist attitude of the US foreign policy. "The US government would like to dominate us and wants us to serve their interests, like Pakistan has been doing for long," he maintained.

"By signing the memorandum, Dhaka has also allowed Washington to punish our people charging any of us of acting against US interests," Selim added.

Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) President Hasanul Haque Inu said there was no need for signing the memorandum, for it was the government's exclusive responsibility to foil any conspiracy against any friendly state to Bangladesh within its territory.

"Through signing the memorandum, the government has virtually confessed that it has failed to take actions against anti-US activities," he added.