Dr. Dipu Moni meets Congressmen and senior staffers US welcomes Bangladesh government’s initiatives to ensure labour safety

অনলাইন ডেস্ক পঠিত: 120 বার

প্রকাশিত: May 17, 2013 | 2:36 PM

UsaNewsOnline : Foreign Minister Dr. Dipu Moni today had discussions with Congressmen Sander M. Levin and George Miller on safety and labour compliance issues in Bangladesh’s garments sector.

The Bangladesh Foreign Minister briefly apprised the US lawmakers about Bangladesh’s handling of the recent accidents in the garments sector and immediate and long-term measures to improve factory conditions. The Minister also responded to various queries from the US Congressmen about the recent amendments to Bangladesh’s 2006 labour law approved by the Cabinet. The Foreign Minister told that the tragic accidents in factories have taken Bangladesh to one of the rare occasions when all stakeholders in the garments sector have decided to join hands and contribute towards restoring a safe work condition. She pointed out that the Savar incident is a setback for the nation because the Government had already initiated the process of identifying faulty buildings housing many factories and taking corrective measures.

Congressman Miller informed the Bangladesh Foreign Minister that he will be visiting Bangladesh soon to gain an understanding of the status of compliance in garment factories and hold meetings with some labour and industry representatives. Foreign Minister Dr. Moni thanked the US Congressmen for their keen interests in US-Bangladesh trade and eagerness to work with both US buyers and Bangladeshi manufacturers to resolve the longstanding compliance and pricing issues in a spirit of understanding and cooperation.

A senior executive of GAP, one the world’s leading brands sourcing garment products from Bangladesh called on the Foreign Minister at the Embassy today and shared their ideas about how they can contribute in Bangladesh’s compliance efforts. Dr. Dipu Moni assured that the government would provide all necessary support to the foreign buyers so they can fast implement their compliance related programmes.

Dr. Dipu Moni addressed a group of scholars and senior level congressional staffers at a discussion organized by the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), a prestigious public policy think-tank of the USA. The Minister informed the audience that one of the priority projects that the government wants to implement is the setting up of a garments village where relatively vulnerable factors could be relocated. Regarding Bangladesh’s labour practices, the Foreign Minister told the US congressional staffers and officials that Bangladesh takes pride in its rich tradition of labour movement and the labour community’s endless sacrifices for securing democracy and rule of law.

Bangladesh Ambassador to the USA Akramul Qader, Member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mr. Saifuzzaman Chowdhury and senior officials of Bangladesh Foreign Ministry accompanied the Minister at the meetings.Press Release.