News Report The United States is committed to help Bangladesh’s readymade garment sector. GSP is not a political issue. US ambassador in Bangladesh Mercia Stephens Bloom Bernicat on Wednesday said this while she met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her office on Wednesday. About the steps the Bangladesh government taken for the sector’s development the US envoy appreciated the impressive success in the sector under the leadership of the Prime Minister. However, Bernicat mentioned that the US buyers are also keen to know the condition of the garment workers in Bangladesh. BSS adds: Three US Congressmen have assured Bangladesh Ambassador to the United States Mohammad Ziauddin of making their all out efforts for restoration of GSP facility and duty-and quota-free access for Bangladeshi products to the US markets. The assurance came when the envoy on Wednesday met with three US Congressmen-Peter T. King, Carolyn Maloney and Grace Meng-in New York. During the meeting, Ziauddin urged the US government to restore GSP facility and allow duty-and quota-free access of Bangladeshi products to the US markets in recognition of the immense tasks done for workers’ rights and safety in the last two years. “By now, it is widely acknowledged that significant progress has already been made in the workers’ rights and safety, which manifests a changing approach and mindset in the affairs of governance”, he said. Ziauddin said that Bangladesh likes to face the rest of the challenges through a sustained partnership with the United States in this regard. He said Bangladesh as a LDC does not enjoy any “Special or Deferential” treatment from the US in terms of trade. Preferential treatments to the trans- pacific partners may chip away the competitive edge of the country like Bangladesh in the US market, he added. The Ambassador said that Bangladesh apparel is subject to high tariff in the US market as opposed to zero tariffs to almost all other developed countries. In their reply, the Congressmen expressed their keen willingness to stand beside Bangladesh for restoration of the GSP facility and subsequent duty- and quota-free access of Bangladeshi products to the US market and assured the Ambassador of making all out efforts to this end. The Ambassador informed the Congressmen that under the able leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina huge progress took place in the fields of workers’ rights and safety in the RMG sector. During the meeting, the Ambassador also briefly explained to the Congressmen about religion-based politics in Bangladesh and its fierce manifestation by the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami alliance in the recent times.
