Labour rights talk with US is regular process
Staff Reporter :
Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud emphasised that the ongoing dialogue with the United States concerning labour rights is a routine process, with various organisations engaging in discussions with Bangladesh on this crucial matter.
Responding to journalists’ queries regarding the United States International Trade Commission’s (USITC) scrutiny of garment exports from five countries, including Bangladesh, Mahmud clarified, “It’s inaccurate to characterise this as an investigation by the US. We maintain regular dialogues with them on labour rights development.”
“As part of this ongoing exchange, several of their organisations have engaged with us to address work environment and labour issues,” added the minister.
Recently, the USITC announced on its website its intention to conduct a hearing involving Bangladesh to assess whether a recent increase in garment prices sourced from the country was influenced by unfair competition.
The USITC found out that the prices the US paid for each unit of Bangladeshi garments had recently exceeded the average of the prices paid by the US for garments sourced from different countries.
This prompted the agency to open an investigation to find out whether any anti-competitive incidents took place.
The USITC is an independent, nonpartisan, quasi-judicial federal agency that fulfils a range of trade-related mandates, according to its website.
Meanwhile, the foreign minister also expressed hope that the ties between the two countries would become stronger in the upcoming days.
Regarding the recent correspondence between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and US President Joe Biden, the minister pointed out that President Biden expressed his desire to take the relationship between the two countries to new heights in his letter.
In response, Prime Minister Hasina also emphasised the need to strengthen and deepen the relationship further, expressing optimism that bilateral relations would continue to improve and strengthen in the future.
Regarding his meeting with the Foreign Minister of Turkey in Antalya at the beginning of this month, Hasan Mahmud clarified that the meeting was regarding the purchase of some drones and military equipment from Turkey.
He stated that it was part of an ongoing process of bilateral discussions focusing on bilateral relations and trade. He added that there was no specific agenda for discussion.
Responding to questions about allegations of poor service to Bangladeshi expatriates in various missions abroad, Hasan Mahmud acknowledged the challenges in providing consular services due to limited manpower.
He explained that decisions often cannot be made promptly due to the involvement of multiple ministries and law enforcement agencies.
He acknowledged that delays in responses may lead to frustration among expatriates, but emphasised that efforts are always made to address concerns and take necessary actions to rectify any shortcomings.
