UNB, Dhaka :
Assistant United States Trade Representative (USTR) for South and Central Asia Michael J. Delaney on Sunday said Bangladesh matters greatly to the United States as it sets an important example in the region as a moderate and secular country.
Besides, he said, the US believes that Bangladesh is a key to developing trade and economic corridors between South and South East Asia.
He was addressing a luncheon meeting to mark the first meeting on Trade and Investment Cooperation Agreement (TICFA) at Dhaka Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI) conference room at Motijheel.
TICFA was signed in Washington on 25 November in 2013. The first meeting under the agreement is scheduled to begin on Monday in Dhaka.
DCCI and American Chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh (AmCham) jointly organized the lunch meeting where US Ambassador to Bangladesh Dan W. Mozena, DCCI President Mohammad Shahjahan Khan, AmCham President Aftab ul Islam and President of BGMEA Atiqul Islam also spoke.
Delaney also said that the TICFA is the primary mechanism for the USA and Bangladesh to discuss trade and investment issues and it provides a forum to address important issues such as
the environment, Intellectual Property Protection, worker’s rights and safety and economic empowerment of women.
He said for the betterment of Bangladesh’s garment industry, there has to be safe factories where workers are able to exercise their fundamental rights.
He said that factory owners or investors should be responsible to uphold the laws of Bangladesh. There needs to be some legal reforms to bring Bangladesh’s law into conformity with basic internationals standards, he added.
About suspending Bangladesh’s trade benefits under Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) programme. Delaney said the facilities were suspended following the extraordinary step taken by US President Obama in June 2013.
“The purpose in suspending trade benefits, however, was not to penalize Bangladesh, but rather to send a strong signal about the urgent need to address this concern,” Delaney said.
Assistant United States Trade Representative (USTR) for South and Central Asia Michael J. Delaney on Sunday said Bangladesh matters greatly to the United States as it sets an important example in the region as a moderate and secular country.
Besides, he said, the US believes that Bangladesh is a key to developing trade and economic corridors between South and South East Asia.
He was addressing a luncheon meeting to mark the first meeting on Trade and Investment Cooperation Agreement (TICFA) at Dhaka Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI) conference room at Motijheel.
TICFA was signed in Washington on 25 November in 2013. The first meeting under the agreement is scheduled to begin on Monday in Dhaka.
DCCI and American Chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh (AmCham) jointly organized the lunch meeting where US Ambassador to Bangladesh Dan W. Mozena, DCCI President Mohammad Shahjahan Khan, AmCham President Aftab ul Islam and President of BGMEA Atiqul Islam also spoke.
Delaney also said that the TICFA is the primary mechanism for the USA and Bangladesh to discuss trade and investment issues and it provides a forum to address important issues such as
the environment, Intellectual Property Protection, worker’s rights and safety and economic empowerment of women.
He said for the betterment of Bangladesh’s garment industry, there has to be safe factories where workers are able to exercise their fundamental rights.
He said that factory owners or investors should be responsible to uphold the laws of Bangladesh. There needs to be some legal reforms to bring Bangladesh’s law into conformity with basic internationals standards, he added.
About suspending Bangladesh’s trade benefits under Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) programme. Delaney said the facilities were suspended following the extraordinary step taken by US President Obama in June 2013.
“The purpose in suspending trade benefits, however, was not to penalize Bangladesh, but rather to send a strong signal about the urgent need to address this concern,” Delaney said.
