Diplomats expressed their frustration over a letter sent by Textiles Minister Abdul Latif Siddiqui to the US ambassador, Dan W Mozena. The letter questioned the emissary's knowledge of diplomatic norms governing comments on the introduction of trade unions in Bangladeshi garment factories. They said that the letter itself violates the government’s norms and rules of allocation.
The minister yesterday told the Dhaka Tribune: “We are a nation with dignity. My pride was hurt, and that is why I sent the letter. I will face whatever consequences may follow.”
Former Bangladeshi ambassador to the US, Humayun Kabir, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday: “It is clearly written in the rules of business what ministry will do what, and it is the responsibility of the foreign ministry to communicate with the foreign missions and countries. It [the letter] should not have been written.”
Press and information officer of the US embassy in Dhaka, Kelly McCarthy, acknowledged that the ambassador did receive a letter from the minister.
“The ambassador did receive a letter, but we leave it to the minister to explain the meaning of his comments,” she said in an email responding to the Dhaka Tribune’s query on the letter.
Latif, in his letter sent on Monday, questioned whether the envoy was aware of the diplomatic norms, seeing as as he had made comments on the introduction of trade unions in factories. He described Mozena’s remarks as “obtrusive, hurting and provocative” to the to the government of Bangladesh.
“Ambassador Mozena will further appreciate that having or not having trade unions is essentially an internal issue of the country,” the letter said.
However, foreign ministry officials questioned whether the act of sending the letter itself was a violation of diplomatic norms.
When asked about the impact of the letter, a foreign ministry official, requesting anonymity, said: “It has an impact over the bilateral relationship.”
If anybody thinks that headquarters does not listen to its ambassadors, he is living in fool’s paradise, he said.
Another official, on similar terms, said: “If any minister other than the foreign minister wants to convey any message or anything to a foreign mission, he should inform the foreign ministry. The foreign ministry will take up the issue with the respective mission.
“The meeting may happen at the level of minister or secretary or protocol or director general depending on the seriousness of the issue. If the matter is that serious, the foreign ministry can declare a certain diplomat persona-non-grata.”
At a public hearing at parliament on Saturday organised by the Parliamentary Standing Committee of the labour ministry, Mozena asked for trade unions in garment factories.
The US Ambassador on several occasions has said that failing to allow trade unions in garment factories sends a negative signal to US buyers and might impact Washington’s decision to continue the GSP facility for Bangladesh.
