US Ambassador in Dhaka Marcia Stephens Bloom Bernicat on Tuesday said Bangladesh must improve workers rights to retain the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) facility. The US Ambassador disclosed the stance of her government on reinstatement of GSP while speaking at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the International Business Forum of Bangladesh (BFB) at a city hotel. The Ambassador, however, said the US recognises the progress made in Bangladesh by joint endeavours of owners, brands, government and trade union leaders at the RMG industry since the Rana Plaza collapses in 2013. “My message is clear…..There are more needed to be done, especially to improve workers’ rights,” Bernicat said. In her course of speech, the Ambassador, however, didn’t specify which components of workers’ rights needs to be improved as workers rights include many issues including fair wage, holiday, 8-hour work, common leave facility, maternity leave, healthcare and ending violence and various forms of humiliation at factories. Meanwhile, several ministers have been saying that foreign buyers and international community were lauding the initiatives taken and the implementation of the reform agenda to improve workers’ safety and rights in the RMG sector. Recently, State Minister for Labour and Employment Mujibul Haque Chunnu said Bangladesh had fulfilled all the conditions set by the US to revive the GSP status. Commerce Minister Tofael Ahmed told local media recently that “What is the use of Trade and Investment Cooperation Framework Agreement (TICFA), if there is no GSP.” Bangladesh had signed a TICFA with the US few years back to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the field of investment, trade and commerce. Bernicat also said the US is maintaining a long-term relationship with Bangladesh and it will continue to support Bangladesh as a development partner. “Trade and business engagement will increase in the coming days,” she said. The Ambassador said US is working in Bangladesh to improve education and living standard. Lauding the rapid expansion of the pharmaceutical sector in Bangladesh, she said, “I am delighted of what I have seen at local pharmaceutical units; their finished products, production procedures and use of raw materials.” She said blue economy is a new concept of economic development and the US is keen to work with Bangladesh in this regard sincerely. In his course of speech, FBCCI president Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed said Foreign Direct Investment from the US remains low though US is the largest single buyer of Bangladeshi apparel products. “It is unfortunate. We expect it will increase,” he said. IBFB president Hafizur Rahman Khan chaired the event while founding IBFB president Mahmudul Islam Chowdhury and vice president (finance) of the forum, Humayun Rashid spoke on the occasion, among others.
Source: https://www.daily-sun.com/print/back-page/2015/05/20/504149#sthash.BmO9pofs.dpuf
