The prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, on Wednesday urged the foreign buyers to increase the price of Bangladeshi garment products, saying that this money would be spent for further welfare of the country’s four million apparel workers.
The prime minister came up with the request when Dutch ambassador to Bangladesh Gerben de Jong paid a farewell call on her at her office here this morning, reports Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha.
After the meeting, PM’s press secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters.
Spelling out her government’s steps for the welfare of the RMG workers, the prime minister said her administration has increased the wages of the RMG workers over 200 percent in the last six years.
‘Besides, we are setting up dormitories for the female garment workers,’ she said.
While talking about concern of different countries about Bangladesh’s garment sector issue, the Prime Minister lauded the role of the Netherlands to this end. ‘The Netherlands never put pressure on Bangladesh in this regard,’ she said.
Pointing out women empowerment in Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina said job opportunity is being created for the females side by side with their education.
‘It was Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who first introduced free girl education in the country,’ she said, paying rich tributes to the great leader.
Putting emphasis on increasing connectivity, the Prime Minister mentioned her government’s initiative for setting up Paira Port in Patuakhali side by side with existing ports in Chittagong and Mongla.
‘The Paira Port would help increase connectivity, and the neighbouring countries could use the Paira Port side by side with Chittagong and Mongla,’ she said.
Expressing satisfaction over the existing friendly ties between Bangladesh and the Netherlands, the prime minister said the ties have reached to a new dimension during the tenure of the Dutch ambassador.
The Dutch envoy highly appreciated Bangladesh’s tremendous development in RMG sector, saying that Bangladesh’s target of earning US Dollar 50 billion from the sector by 2021 is possible.
Gerben expressed his country’s eagerness to develop Bangladesh’s ports.
He also showed his country’s interest in exchanging cooperation in the fields of agriculture, horticulture, livestock and land reclamation.
‘There are many areas through which Bangladesh and the Netherlands could cooperate each other,’ he said.
The Dutch envoy highly praised Bangladesh’s impressive success in cricket, especially the one-day internationals.
Source: New Age
I do not understand how an overseas rmg buyer would agree to increase its purchase price just bcz the PM made a request to the departing Dutch Envoy !! These are matters settled after much haggling between the seller & the buyer & has little room for compassion or casual requests.
Instead, Govt in consultation with Bgmea/Bkmea, can fix floor price for basic garments items like T-shirt, 5-pkt denim trouser, etc, so that factories do not under cut each other on price, much to the buyer’s advantage.
Govt at its own end, could increase export tax to @ 1.00 % on FOB in place of existing 0.60 % tax, save this extra money for exclusive welfare programs for the workers.
Regarding dormitories for rmg workers, women in particular, matter demands immediate attention. Govt agencies & NGOs dealing with female workers have fallen far short of expectation in their bid to improve the safety, security & minimum healthcare of the target group.
Factories who export big, say the top 500 exporters could be asked/encouraged to arrange accommodation/dormitories for its own workers near their respective factories as a matter of compulsion without which the female workers will continue to suffer at the hands of local mastans & eve teasers.