THE US government has announced a new GSP scheme for 122 countries but excluding Bangladesh surprising the nation. Bangladesh was a beneficiary of the scheme that offers duty free market access to exports until 2013 when it was temporarily suspended following the Rana Plaza collapse in which over 1100 garments workers were killed. Meanwhile the entire GSP scheme was also shelved on expiry of the law. The last two years saw significant progress in making the country’s garment industry safe from fire and workers trade union rights were also restored working on hefty list of buyers compliance measures to reclaim the GSP facility. The Obama administration revived the new GSP scheme on July 29 after Congress passed a new law, however keeping Bangladesh out of it. Russia is the other country left out of the list for facing western sanctions on Ukraine issue. There is no third country left to exclusion. Needless to say that the GSP facility does not cover ready made garment from Bangladesh, which is the country’s largest export item to the US market, but its symbolic impact is enormous to others like the EU nations; which offer duty free access to all Bangladesh’s exports, except drugs and arms. From the beginning the current government foreign policy was to show unfriendliness toward the USA and the World Bank. It may be for the reason that the government has to shun democracy. It thought coming closer to India is more important than the western countries which have been encouraging the government to earn electoral legitimacy. What is best for the country’s economy was of little consideration. Remaining in power meant everything. India grasped the opportunity of the present government’s isolation from the people to its own advantage.Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed has clearly blamed the political reason for the US action in reaction to the media and hoped that the US would review its decision. But his comment that the government on its part would not make any request clearly shows that the government’s change of direction away from democracy and election based government. Bangladesh’s over-dependence on India and China makes no sense when both China and India maintain close friendship with the USA for the development of their countries.Mr. Tofail has to look at China, Myanmar and other countries to understand that by ignoring the importance of close relationship with the USA Bangladesh is making western cooperation in development activities difficult. The government should also know that the people are pro-USA and pro-West. They do not want poverty of socialism and ruthless dictatorship. There is a growing fear that the politics that the government is pursing in the domestic and external fronts is not helpful for Bangladesh’s external trade and economic development.
