The government now pins hopes on enactment of a new US law for restoration of the suspended GSP facility for preferential trade on the American market as a delegation led by Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed got such an assurance during a just-concluded Washington tour.
Mr Tofail told Saturday reporters that the law in the making would pave the way for renewal of the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) scheme and Bangladesh would get back the facility thereafter.
The minister, however, indicated that politics played a trick behind the embargo put on the GSP and that political string also is attached to revival of the cut-duty trade facility.
"The US authorities concerned (USTR and US Congressmen) have assured us that Bangladesh has the possibility to get back the GSP facility after the renewal of the scheme as remarkable developments have been made in its garment sector," he said at a press briefing after his US visit.
During the June 11-14 mission, the Bangladesh delegation headed by the minister held several meetings with the US Congressmen, United States Trade Representative (USTR) representatives and retailers' groups. They also attended a seminar on 'Bangladesh Development Conference 2014- Globalization and Sustainability of Bangladesh Garment Industry'.
The United States is expected to pass a bill for the restoration of GSP for all deserving countries, the minister said.
They (US Congressmen and USTR) have also expressed their satisfaction over the progress report sent by Bangladesh on April 15 last in line with the US Action Plan, Mr Ahmed said. However, they also pressed for rest of the conditions, including recruitment of inspectors and allowing trade union in EPZs.
"We have informed them that a few conditions will take more time, like the condition regarding EPZs," he said, explaining the process going on to formulate a new law for the export-processing zones.
"So we are hopeful to get back the benefit as most of the conditions are met," he said, and hastened to add: despite all this, if the benefit is not revived, "the reason would only be political".
The US authorities, however, are concerned over the workers and building safety, he said. "But we have informed them about the steps taken by the government, including the budgetary measures that proposed duty waiver on safety equipment and pre-fabricated building materials to ensure safety."
About alleged smear campaigns the minister said some vested-interest labour leaders and organisations, namely IndustriAll, have lodged complaints with the US authorities that Bangladeshi garment workers are oppressed.
"I informed them that as minister I didn't get such complaints," he noted.
Quoting a recent survey by Democratic International funded by USAID and UKAID, he informed the USTR representatives and US Congressmen that majority of the workers want their leaders from their factory representation while the leaders who lodged complaints are not directly involved with the sector or never worked in any garment unit.
"Through the tour, we have been able to remove their misunderstanding about Bangladesh," Mr Tofail claimed.
Regarding the ongoing drive for garment-factory inspections, the commerce minister regretted that 20 factories were closed down with about 20,000 workers thrown out of their jobs following the Accord and the Alliance assessment.
Replying to a question whether the government will take any action against IndustriAll, he said, "I have just come back and will look into the issue."
Asked about the commodity market ahead of Ramadan, the minister said the government had meetings with all the stakeholders, including importer, traders, wholesalers and retailers, and they assured that prices of essentials would remain tolerable.
Replying another question about the issues to be discussed during Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj's upcoming visit, Tofail, also a veteran ruling-party leader, said the prevailing problems, including Teesta water dispute and land boundary, would come up for discussion.
