Bangladesh Ambassador Ziauddin meets Congressman Ed Royce

UsaNewsOnline.Com Desk Report : Bangladesh Ambassador to the United States Mohammad Ziauddin 17 May Tuesday met Congressman Edward R. Royce (R-CA), the Chairman of the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs, at the Capitol Hill.

Congressman Ed Royce and Ambassador Ziauddin discussed wide range of issues including terrorism and violent extremism, education, women empowerment and duty free quota free market access to the American market.

Ambassador Ziauddin informed Ed Royce of Bangladesh government’s firm position against terrorism and religious extremism. He said that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government vowed “zero” tolerance against all forms of extremism and terrorism. Bangladesh is working closely with its neighbors, the United States and other friendly countries to eliminate terrorism and extremism, he added.

The Ambassador also highlighted development priorities of the present government of Bangladesh, including women empowerment and education. He said the government has taken initiatives to introduce modern education for the madrasa students so that they can adapt with the mainstream of society and thus get rid of the radicalism.

He also said 90 percent of four million workers in the RMG industry are women who have stepped out of their homes and are contributing to poverty alleviation, literacy, and above all weakening the extremism, and reinforcing the government efforts to eliminate extremism and terrorism. He said women are transforming the society into a progressive one, and it is a solution for ridding the country of all forms of violent elements.

On bilateral trade, the Ambassador said that the United States is a major destination for Bangladeshi export products but Bangladesh apparels are subjected to high tariff in the United States as opposed to zero tariffs provided to almost all other Least Developed Countries (LDC) in the world. He urged the United States to grant preferential market access (duty free and quota free) for Bangladeshi products and other Asian and Oceanic LDCs as accorded to other developing countries of the Sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean.

Congressman Ed Royce gave a patient hearing to and thanked the Ambassador for the briefing. The meeting was attended by Mr. Hunter M. Strupp, Asia Policy Analyst, Committee on Foreign Affairs and Mr. Toufique Hasan, Counsellor (Political) of the Embassy of Bangladesh. Press Release.