US Ambassador Dan Mozena has urged Bangladesh to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), of which the United States is a member country, to boost Bangladesh’s exports.
“I hope Bangladesh will seek to join the TPP, as entry into this free trade block would be a huge boost for Bangladesh’s exports,” he said at a seminar titled “US-Bangladesh Relations with Special Reference to Security in the Bay of Bengal” at the Brac Centre Saturday.
The ambassador believes that greater access to the American and other Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) markets would help propel Bangladesh towards becoming the world’s largest exporter of readymade garments and household textiles.
He, however, said: “Of course, acceding to the TPP will not be easy as member states need to address concerns regarding workers’ rights and protections, environmental protection, conservation, among other matters.”
The Trans-Pacific Partnership is a proposed free trade agreement that would foster Asia-Pacific economic integration by facilitating greater trade and investment among its members.
The member countries currently include the US, Australia, Brunei, Chile, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.
“I hope the government of Bangladesh, business interests of Bangladesh, and the civil society of Bangladesh will rigorously explore possibilities of Bangladesh’s joining of the TPP,” Mozena said.
America now seeks to add an important new dimension to its relationship with the Asia-Pacific region as the 19th round of negotiations to create the Trans-Pacific Partnership ended in Brunei on Friday, Mozena said.
The ambassador believes that by joining the TPP Bangladesh would become a huge player in the global market for generic pharmaceuticals, shoes, finished leather goods, jute and silk products.
“Explosive growth in these sectors would enable Bangladesh to take full advantage of the demographic dividend as millions of young Bangladeshis enter into their productive years,” he said.
The ambassador said Bangladesh matters to America as it simply recognises the reality that the US is and has long been a Pacific nation, and its engagement with the Asia Pacific region courses all the way through to the subcontinent, including Dhaka.
“America’s engagement with the Asia Pacific region recognises that America’s future prosperity and security will be influenced importantly by events and developments in the region,” he added.
Washington has helped Dhaka to develop a special forces capacity in the maritime domain- akin to the US Navy Seals- to respond to threats to Bangladesh maritime security, Mozena said.
“This special unit, called SWADS, is operational and gaining valuable experience as it grows and matures.”The ambassador said as in any partnership there are areas of disagreement, such as providing refuge for bona fide Rohingya refugees, sustaining the integrity and effectiveness of Grameen Bank, and providing space for human rights organisations.
“I believe that over time we can work through these differences.”
Prof Ataur Rahman delivered a keynote speech while former minister M Osman Faruk, Rear Admiral and Director General of Coastguard Kazi Sarwar Hossain, security analyst Shahedul Anam Khan and senior journalist Sadeq Khan were panelists.
