‘Bangladesh plans to vaccinate 5 million RMG workers by Sept end’
Commerce minister says
The government is planning to vaccinate 5 million workers in the country's readymade garment sector within a month and a half, said Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi during a meeting with Walmart Vice President Paul Dyck at the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington DC yesterday.
He said vaccinating workers is Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's top priority, according to a statement of the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington DC.
Tipu Munshi, who led a Bangladesh delegation to the Magic Las Vegas 2021 Trade Show, made a brief stopover at Washington DC to participate in a trade roundtable organized by McLarty Associates on Wednesday.
The commerce minister said the Bangladesh government and factory owners were working hand-in-hand to vaccinate the garment workers and highlighted the government efforts and preparedness to ensure the safety of the workers with Covid-19 in the backdrop.
He also expressed hope that more than 60 percent of Bangladesh's population will be vaccinated in the next six months.
Paul Dyck said that Walmart is now ready to explore and source more products from abroad now that the Covid-19 situation in the US has improved.
Apart from readymade garment products, the minister encouraged Walmart to buy leather goods, pharmaceuticals, light engineering items, and plastic products from Bangladesh.
Among others, Bangladesh Ambassador to the US, M Shahidul Islam; Senior Adviser of McLarty Associates, Ambassador Teresita Schaffer; Senior Director of Walmart, Sarah Thorn, and other officers from the commerce ministry and Bangladesh Embassy in Washington DC were present at the meeting.