Cancellation of orders of about $3 billion by some major brands has thrown Bangladesh’s apparel sector into a tailspin. Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen shared the concern with his Canadian counterpart François-Philippe Champagne during a telephone conversation on May 13. Momen said, “Jobs of nearly 40 lakh apparel workers, mostly women, now remains on the line.” Canada is one of the largest apparel export destinations of Bangladesh. So Momen sought Ottawa’s support for Bangladesh’s apparel sector hit hard by the Covid-19 crisis. Saying that Bangladesh has a huge number of young and promising IT professionals, he also urged Canada to invest in Bangladesh’s information technology (IT) sector. Plus, Momen requested Canada to invest in the special economic zones of Bangladesh. He also urged the country to work jointly in the agricultural sector. The foreign minister requested the Canadian government to waive tuition fees of Bangladeshi students there and to cooperate with them. Also, Momen sought Ottawa’s assistance in the reintegration of migrants, many of whom lost their jobs overseas and returned to Bangladesh. In reply, the Canadian foreign minister said they would consider the proposals seriously. François-Philippe also proposed to form an alliance to face the post-pandemic challenges. He assured that Canada will stay beside Bangladesh in any crisis and thanked Momen for helping Canadian citizens get back home on special chartered flights. However, Momen also requested the Canadian government to arrange the extradition of Bangabandhu’s murderer Nur Chowdhury. “It will be a big achievement for the people of Bangladesh if the killer of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is brought back and the verdict is executed in the year of Bangabandhu’s birth centenary.”
