US Ambassador in Dhaka Dan W Mozena on Thursday said restoration of the Generalised System of Preference (GSP) will be included in the agenda of discussion in the upcoming meeting of the Trade and Investment Cooperation Forum Agreement (TICFA) next week.
Addressing the annual general meeting of the International Business Forum of Bangladesh (IBFB) at Sonargaon Hotel in the city, he said TICFA will include in a discussion of efforts underway in Bangladesh to bring about restoration of Bangladesh’s GSP trade privileges in the United States.
“These efforts are largely synonymous with Bangladesh’s campaign to transform the apparel sector to bring worker safety and labour rights to international standards in the wake of Rana Plaza building collapse and Tazreen Fashions fire,” Mozena told the function.
Finance Minister AMA Muhith was the chief guest at the function. State Minister for Finance and Planning MA Mannan, FBCCI President Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed, IBFB founder Mahmudul Islam Chowdhury and IBFB president Hafizur Rahman Khan also spoke at the function.
About the TICFA meeting, Ambassador Mozena also said that like the Security Dialogue which was held recently, the TICFA features a rich agenda of issues as both sides endeavor to identify and address obstacles to further expanding bilateral trade and investment.
“America is already Bangladesh’s largest single-country market and its largest foreign investor, but I want to see great growth in trade and investment between our countries. I think such growth can play a major role in helping Bangladesh become the Asian Tiger of our dreams.”
Paying honour to the victims of Rana Plaza in its one year anniversary of the tragedy, the US Ambassador said his country will do everything to ensure that Bangladesh, indeed, the world never again experiences the collapse of an apparel factory.
He mentioned that the stakeholders of Bangladesh’s readymade garment industry-the buyers, the workers, many owners, the International Labor Organization, America, Bangladesh’s other foreign friends and partners, and, most especially, the government of Bangladesh have taken important steps down the path towards ensuring that Bangladesh’ s apparel industry meets international standards in terms of fire safety, factory structural soundness, and respect for workers’ right to freely associate and organize.
“Nonetheless, the road ahead is long and the obstacles will be many as some endeavor to thwart this transformation of Bangladesh’s RMG sector, but I am confident that Bangladesh will succeed in this historic undertaking,” he said.
Mozena said he is confident that Bangladesh will come to define the new global standard for respect for worker safety and for worker labor rights.
He also said that, Brand Bangladesh will become a premium brand, a preferred brand in the global apparel market place, and Bangladesh has embarked on a journey that will enable it to become the largest exporter of apparel in the world.”
“I believe that Bangladesh’s undertakings to ensure worker safety and worker rights in every apparel factory, each and every factory … no exceptions … are the greatest tribute the nation and the world can pay to the victims of the Rana Plaza tragedy,” he added.
The US Ambassador lauded the progress that Bangladesh has made so far in this regard. “I commit America to be Bangladesh’s steadfast partner in transforming the apparel industry,” he said.
