Bangladesh renewed its call for Duty Free Quota Free (DFQF) market access to the USA along with thirteen other Least Developed Countries (LDCs) which are left out from US DFQF scheme.Bangladesh Ambassador to the USA Mohammad Ziauddin made the call as he met Congressman Ted S. Yoho in Washington D.C.on Monday, a press release said here today. Currently, only 34 LDCs, under a group called ‘AGOA’, get DFQF access to US market. However, the European Union provides such benefit to all the LDCs. The Ambassador called upon the US to ensure equal opportunity to all the LDCs. Referring to Bangladesh’s achievements in different sectors, Ziauddin said the country has made a remarkable progress in women empowerment. He said more than four million garment workers of Bangladesh are women who are contributing to society in alleviating poverty and reducing child labour. The ambassador said Bangladesh would be able to progress further in women empowerment and elimination of terrorism by its own resources if it can increase its volume of trade in the US market with the help of DFQF benefit. He also highlighted the ‘zero tolerance’ of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina against all forms of extremism and terrorism. He mentioned about the ongoing cooperation including intelligence sharing between Bangladesh and the USA and other friendly countries in countering terrorism.Ziauddin said Madrasa education is being modernized in Bangladesh so that the students can get rid of the extremism and can cope up them with the society.He congratulated Ted Yoho, Republican Congressman from Florida and also a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, on his new position as the chairman of the Asia Pacific region which represents the maximum number of population and generates almost 80 percent of total trade in the world.Ted Yoho said his priority would be trade, economic growth and empowerment of the people in the Asia Pacific region, and therefore, he would like to work with small countries like Bangladesh. Toufique Hasan, minister (political) of the embassy and Hunter M. Strupp, Asia Policy Analyst, Committee of Foreign Affairs of the US Congress also joined the meeting.
