Bangladesh may get back the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) in the US market if it implements all the conditions mandatory for availing of the facility. US Ambassador to Bangladesh Marcia Stephens Bloom Bernicat yesterday expressed the view just after visiting two international-standard readymade garment factories in Gazipur. A group of foreign diplomats in Dhaka visited two readymade garment units in Gazipur to assess the working environment and compliance issues. President of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) M Atiqul Islam led the tour of the factories – UTAH Fashion Ltd and Epylion Style Ltd. Among others, Canadian High Commissioner in Dhaka Benoit-Pierre Laramee, EU Ambassador Pierre Mayaudon and Spainish Ambassador Eduardo de Laiglesia Y del Rosal, also visited the two factories. The United States has recently extended its Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) facility for 122 countries, but Bangladesh has been left out. Currently, there are 16 conditions including worker safety, freedom of association, safety of the labor right activists etc for getting the GSP facilities in the US market. Brushing aside an allegation that Bangladesh has been left out of the GSP list just on political ground, US Ambassador Bernicat has categorically clarified: “Though Bangladesh has made remarkable progress in the RMG sector following the Rana Plaza disaster, it fails to fulfill all the conditions of the Sustainability Compact.” “Although there has been significant improvements in safety, security and workers rights issues, Bangladesh is not included in the GSP facility list as the overall development in RMG sector is still not up to the mark.” Visiting the two factories, Bernicat observed that the global perception about Bangladeshi RMG factories was changed significantly after the Rana Plaza collapse because of the tremendous improvement in the field of workers’ safety, security and compliances. “These two factories can be good example to others units in terms of safety, workers’ rights and other issues,” she said. She, however, stressed on establishing online database of the workers, stopping harassment of workers for the formation of trade unions and implementing all the rules under labour law to get back the GSP facility. She also advised the government of Bangladesh to make visible development in labour union formation in the RMG sector to get back the GSP facility. Head of the European Union Delegation to Bangladesh Pierre Mayaudon stated that the standard of the visited factories was quite satisfied. “However, Bangladesh needs to increase the productivity and quality of its products to get increased price in the international markets,” he said while responding to a query. Expressing his utter frustration, BGMEA President Atiqul Islam said, “Though Bangladesh has tried its best to improve the overall scenario to regain the GSP facility, it is still out of the list, which is quite unfortunate.” He, however, hoped that the country would get back the GSP facility in the US market after the factory visit by the delegation.
