US Congressman Sander Levin has stressed on the responsibility of US retailers in revamping the readymade garment sector of Bangladesh, a senior foreign ministry official told the Dhaka Tribune.
In a meeting with Levin Tuesday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh and the US enjoy a good bilateral relationship but the withdrawal of the generalised system of preferences facility had shocked the people of the country.
“In the meeting, Levin wanted to know from the prime minister about her impression of the Bangladesh-US bilateral relationship and in response the prime minister said everything was fine except the withdrawal of GSP,” said an official who attended the meeting.
“The prime minister told Levin that both the countries co-operate with each other but the withdrawal of GSP had shocked the people of Bangladesh,” the official said.
Washington, on June 27 announced the withdrawal of GSP facility for Bangladesh on grounds of poor labour conditions in the country.
Levin came to Dhaka on Monday and had a meeting with the Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque, Labour Secretary Mikail Shippar and Commerce Secretary Mahbub Ahmed, Tuesday.
The representative from Michigan has engaged in labour politics throughout his life and is a senior democrat leader in the Ways and Means Committee of the Congress.
Meanwhile, Director General of the foreign ministry Mahfuzur Rahman said the US Congressman had remarked that the withdrawal of GSP facility for Bangladesh was not a punitive measure.
“The congressman gave the message to the prime minister and foreign minister when he met them separately,” Mahfuzur Rahman, who attended both the meetings, told the Dhaka Tribune, Tuesday.
“Levin told them workers in the US do not want to see Bangladeshi workers suffer due to the withdrawal of GSP,” Rahman said.
“The Congressman told them the GSP withdrawal had given Bangladesh and US an opportunity to work together to improve labour conditions,” he said.
In the functional meeting with the secretaries, they appraised the congressman about the progress so far made to improve labour conditions in the country.
After the collapse of Rana Plaza in April another US Congressman George Miller came to Dhaka in June.
