Communications Minister Obaidul Quader on Wednesday said the United States (US) is sincere to consider Bangladesh’s Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) for readymade garment (RMG) sector of Bangladesh. “I have got assurance in this regard from Charge d’affaires of the US Embassy in Dhaka Jon Danilowicz during a meeting,” he told journalist after a meeting with the US high official at his office in the city’s Banani.
The minister said political situation in the country is gridlock over the polls-time government and the US understood Bangladesh’s democracy has been maturing gradually.
The Charge d’affaires said that Bangladesh had already undertaken some ‘corrective measures’ to improve factory safety and working conditions.
Danilowicz said the bilateral relation between the two countries is strong and they discussed how it can be enhanced further.
However, the US sanction does not directly affect Bangladesh’s main exports, multi-billion-dollar clothing to the US, since garments are not eligible for duty cuts.
Earlier, the US suspended GSP access for Bangladeshi goods after several incidents in RMG sectors like Rana plaza collapse and Tajreen fashion that took more than 1,200 lives.
-With The Independent input
