diff --git a/app/bot_cli.py b/app/bot_cli.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8d1ec11
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/bot_cli.py
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+"""Local dev CLI for the CM bot. Mirrors Telegram /1, /2, /3 plus
+operational commands. No-arg invocation drops into a stdlib TUI menu.
+"""
+
+import argparse
+import sys
+
+from .cm_bot_hal import CM_BOT_HAL
+
+
+def cmd_interactive(_args):
+    raise NotImplementedError("cmd_interactive is implemented in a later task")
+
+
+def build_parser() -> argparse.ArgumentParser:
+    p = argparse.ArgumentParser(
+        prog="bot_cli",
+        description="CM Bot dev CLI (mirrors Telegram triggers).",
+    )
+    p.add_subparsers(dest="command")
+    return p
+
+
+def main(argv=None) -> int:
+    parser = build_parser()
+    args = parser.parse_args(argv)
+    if args.command is None:
+        return cmd_interactive(args) or 0
+    return args.func(args) or 0
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    sys.exit(main())
diff --git a/tests/test_bot_cli.py b/tests/test_bot_cli.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f5a23a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_bot_cli.py
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+"""Tests for the bot CLI (app.bot_cli).
+
+The CLI mirrors the Telegram bot's manual-trigger surface (Telegram
+handlers /1, /2, /3) plus the operational ops (credit, transfer,
+monitor-once). With no args, it drops into a stdlib TUI menu.
+
+These tests mock app.bot_cli.CM_BOT_HAL so they never touch the database
+or cm99.net. The HAL class is imported at module load (which is a pure
+import — no env reads), so we can patch the symbol bound on app.bot_cli
+without affecting other tests.
+"""
+
+import argparse
+import contextlib
+import io
+import os
+import sys
+import unittest
+from unittest import mock
+
+import app.bot_cli as bot_cli
+
+
+class ParserSanityTests(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_build_parser_returns_argument_parser(self):
+        parser = bot_cli.build_parser()
+        self.assertIsInstance(parser, argparse.ArgumentParser)
+
+    def test_main_with_no_args_dispatches_to_interactive(self):
+        # When invoked with no subcommand, main() should drop into the
+        # TUI loop. We verify the dispatch by patching cmd_interactive to
+        # a no-op recorder.
+        with mock.patch.object(bot_cli, "cmd_interactive", return_value=0) as mocked:
+            rc = bot_cli.main([])
+        mocked.assert_called_once()
+        self.assertEqual(rc, 0)
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    unittest.main()