Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Sunday said that Bangladesh cannot become America in one day.
"We want to be as good as them. But we can't be in one day," he said while replying to a question on US President Joe Biden's new memorandum on the rights of workers worldwide and improving their standards.
After the publication of that memorandum, the country's foreign minister Anthony Blinken in his speech mentioned about a Bangladeshi garment worker and leader named Kalpana Akhter. Journalists drew the attention of the foreign minister in this regard.
He said: "They are the country of sanction. They can give [sanction]. They are rich. But we will act as we are. We will work in terms of reality. We cannot become America in one day. Those who get money from them (the US) think that Bangladesh will become America in a day. All of a sudden it seems like a matter of surprise when they talk about rich people (America)."
Dr Momen said: "It took 250 years for America to come to this stage. Workers in America were once slaves. It was abolished during Abraham Lincoln's time. This led to the American Civil War. In the early 1900s, every worker in America worked 18 hours. He got only 20 cents as a wage. We have not forgotten that history."
The foreign minister compared the economic development of Bangladesh with America.
He said “We know about the economic development of America. In that respect, our workers are far better off than America in terms of economic development. Now their per capita income is $65,000. And I have $2,800. Compared to that my workers are much better. They should know about our process.”
When asked whether new trade restrictions will come from the United States, Momen said: "I don't know. It is another country's jurisdiction.”
