Concerted effort needed to get new US trade bill passed

President of US-Bangladesh Advisory Council Sabbir Ahmed speaks at a seminar on 'The state and status of trade between Bangladesh and the United States and on pending bills in the US Congress' in the capital yesterday. Photo: STAR

The government and private sector should launch a concerted effort for the passage of the new US trade bill for getting duty-free market access of locally made garment products to the US market, speakers told a seminar yesterday.
Bangladesh government, non-resident Bangladeshis (NRBs), local garment exporters and the Bangladesh embassy to US have to work together to get the bill passed, the speakers said.
The passage of the bill -- The New Partnership for Development Act 2007 (NPDA) -- in US Congress will ensure duty-free access of textile products from least developed countries (LDCs) to US market.
The speakers also urged both the government and the private sector entrepreneurs to put an extra effort in collaboration with other LDCs especially from Africa to help pass the bill.
President of US-Bangladesh Advisory Council Sabbir Ahmed called upon all local trade bodies including Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) and Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA), Bangladesh embassy to US, the government and the NRBs to work hard for the passage of the bill.
Sabbir was speaking at the seminar on 'The state and status of trade between Bangladesh and the United States and on pending bills in the US Congress' in Dhaka.
Citing US as a potential market for Bangladeshi pharmaceuticals and human resources, Sabbir said: “We should find out ways and means on how Bangladeshi pharmaceuticals and human resources can enter the US market.”
He said at present there are 400,000 vacant posts for nurses in US, and Bangladesh can export skilled human resources against those posts.
The seminar was organised by ScholarsBangladesh.com, a platform of NRBs, as part of their three-day long first-ever NRB conference. The Daily Star is a media partner of the conference that ends today.
President of Bangladesh Enterprise Institute Farooq Sobhan chaired the seminar moderated by former BGMEA president Annisul Huq.
Industries Secretary Nurul Islam, Trade Adviser to the Delegation of the European Commission to Bangladesh Zillul Hye Razi, BTMA President Abdul Hai Sarker, and acting BGMEA president Abdus Salam, among others, spoke at the seminar. Samarukh Mohiuddin, an NRB residing in US, presented the keynote paper.
Farooq Sobhan said the passage of the new trade bill will depend on how the government and private sector people address the issue.
The NRBs and Bangladeshi embassy to US can play a very important role in the passage of the bill, he added.
Highlighting the recent development in addressing the salary issue of the garment workers, Annisul Huq said the passage of the bill is largely depending on the standard of labour issue, child labour and elimination of forced child labour from this industry.
He said the overall export earning from the garment sector declined until October of the current year, although the sector had been maintaining more than 20 percent export growth since 1990.
“We should work with the African countries to help pass the bill,” Annisul said.
Acting BGMEA president Abdus Salam said currently 97 percent garment factories are paying wages to the workers as per the tripartite agreement to address the labour issue.