Bangladesh must ensure high-quality education, plug infrastructure deficit and establish good governance to be an Asian economic powerhouse, US Ambassador Dan W Mozena said yesterday.
He also said apparel, shoes and finished leather goods, generic pharmaceuticals, and IT products are the four areas that will make the country’s economy more vibrant.
“A tiger, of course, needs more than just legs. My vision of the Bangladesh economic tiger includes frozen shrimp, small freighters, flowers, bone china, jute products, silk products and so much more.”
Mozena spoke at the monthly luncheon meeting of the American Chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh (AmCham) at Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka.
The envoy, who will end his mission in the country soon, termed the current bilateral relations between Bangladesh and the US as warm. “I am pleased that America’s partnership with Bangladesh is today broader, deeper and stronger than ever.”
Bangladesh now has an “unprecedented opportunity” to take the apparel industry to global standards in terms of fire safety, factory structural soundness, and respect for workers’ rights to freely associate and organise, he said in a written speech.
Never before anywhere in the world have the brands, International Labour Organisation, development partners, workers, owners, and the government come together to support transformation of the apparel sector, Mozena added.
“It is for Bangladesh, especially the owners and the government, to seize this opportunity by giving dynamic leadership to this transformation process, particularly respecting the rights of the workers, so brand Bangladesh becomes a premium brand, a preferred brand, the best brand in the global apparel market.”
AmCham President Aftab Ul Islam moderated the meeting.
Source: The Daily Star
