Dhaka on Tuesday renewed its request to the new administration of US President Donald J. Trump to consider ‘Duty Free Quota Free’ (DFQF) access to the US market, reports BSS. Bangladesh Ambassador to the United States Mohammad Ziauddin made the request during a meeting with US Republican Senator Roger Wicker in Washington D.C, according to an official release received here today. Senator Wicker of Mississippi is also a member on the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee of the U.S. Senate. Ambassador Ziauddin requested the US government to consider DFQF access of all Least Developed Countries’ products to the US market. Currently, only 34 countries (all African LDCs) out of 48 LDCs, are benefited from the US DFQF access. Senator Wicker gave a patient and sympathetic hearing to the Ambassador and thanked him for the briefing. The Senator said that he would seriously look into the matter of DFQF issue. Joseph Lai, Senior Legislative Assistant of the Congressman and Toufique Hasan, Minister (Political) of the Embassy were present. Ziauddin noted that there is a sense of deprivation among the rest of the LDCs (mostly Asian and Oceanic) that seek justice from the US. The ambassador told the Senator that if the US government provides DFQF access to Bangladeshi products, it would help the country to be economically strong by exporting more products, especially from the RMG sector, where more than four million women are working at present. Consequently, it would help empower the Bangladeshi women to change society by contributing to alleviation of poverty and curb the menace of extremism, he said. Referring to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s “zero tolerance” stance against all forms of extremism and terrorism in Bangladesh and beyond, Ziauddin said Bangladesh had already established counter terrorism cooperation with the US, India and other neighbouring countries.
