Mozena: April 15 crucial for RMG

US ambassador in Dhaka Dan Mozena has said April 15 and 24 are critical dates for the readymade garment sector of Bangladesh and all the stakeholders are working together to keep making progress of the sector.

The US envoy has made the remark after a meeting of three secretaries and five ambassadors at the commerce ministry on Wednesday.

“April 15 is the deadline by which the government of Bangladesh and others have to submit data to those who are reviewing restoration of GSP, generalised system of preference, for Bangladesh. April 15 is a critical date. April 24 is a critical date, that is the one year anniversary of Rana Plaza building collapse,” Mozena said.

Rana Plaza’s tragedy, was the biggest industrial disaster in Bangladesh’s history, killed over 1,100 people mostly women workers who worked in different garment factories located in the building.

Washington suspended GSP facility for Bangladesh in June last year and its next review will be held in May.

“All of us are working together to transform the industry and bring the industry to international standard in terms of fire safety, factory structural soundness, respect for workers’ rights to freely associate and organise,” Mozena said.

About workers’ rights in export processing zones, he said they discussed the issue and analysed what steps could be taken to ensure that.

Secretaries of commerce, foreign and labour, and ambassadors of European Union, Canada, Spain and Netherlands were present in the meeting.

After courtesy call of five diplomats and ILO representative Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed told reporters there is a substantial progress of retain of US generalized system of Preferences (GSP) facilities for action plan.  Appointment of inspectors and garment factories data base will be completed within March 31 and the complete report will be sent to USTR within April 15, he also said. Minister said USTR will review the report to regain GSP facilities to Bangladeshi exporters in June.