The US the 16-point declaration on GSP restoration and wanted to discuss the all labour issues in the next TICFA meeting to be held in Washington this year. On the other hand, the Bangladesh model of labour practice that it wants to impose on Bangladesh was termed punitive Dhaka and Washington had a lengthy meeting yesterday where the Bangladesh side flagged its concern about the declining price of readymade garment products and enquired as to when the US would talk about fair price. The meeting took place at the state-guesthouse Meghna in the capital which Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque, Commerce Secretary Hedayetullah Mamun and Labour Secretary Mikail Shippar attended. Assistant US Trade Representative Michael J Delaney, who arrived in Dhaka yesterday, led the US side. The US officials also expressed its tacit intention to go beyond side termed “punitive” the US model of labour practice that they want to impose on Bangladesh. “The foreign secretary raised the fair price issue and reminded the US side of their assurance that no orders would be diverted from Bangladesh,” said a senior government official, seeking anonymity. Shahidul also told them that Bangladesh was getting some wrong signal that the Western buyers are resorted to arms-twisting to lower the price. When contacted, Labour Secretary Shipar said: “We flagged the fair price concern as the nominal value of our readymade garment products dropped by 2.9% last year.” He said the US side at the meeting asked a number of queries about the number of factories, methodology of inspection, trade union registration and labour activities at the EPZs. Delaney at the beginning of the meeting said that he was confused about the number of factories in the country, the secretary said. The US side was informed that according to field inspection, the number of factories is about 3,750. However, Accord and Alliance have different figures. Another senior government official wishing not to be named said that after two years of declaring the 16-point roadmap to restore GSP facility for Bangladesh, “the US side has come up with different queries which they did not ask us during the period.” “Now they are confused about the number of factories, methodology of inspection and trade union activities,” he said. “We told them that they are continuously shifting the bar and goalpost and that is the impression here in Bangladesh.” The Bangladesh side told the US side that they should see the RMG sector through the prism of development, growth and stability, the official said. “This initiative helps Bangladesh fight against extreme violence and radicalisation,” he said. The US side in response said that they would get back with an updated action plan, but they did not give any time frame. “Delaney in the meeting also expressed satisfaction over issuing the labour rules few days back and appreciated the positive approach of Bangladesh with regard to implementation of the 16-point roadmap,” the official said.
