US wants BD to do more for workers protection

Acknowledging Bangladesh’s progress in some important areas, the United States on Wednesday said the government of Bangladesh must do more to ensure protection when workers face intimidation and reprisals for trying to organise. It said all stakeholders in Bangladesh, including the government, employers, and buyers of Bangladeshi products, bear a responsibility for ensuring safe working conditions and those workers have a voice to protect their interests. “To that end, we’re working with all stakeholders to implement the Action Plan we laid out after President Obama suspended Bangladesh’s benefits under the Generalized System of Preferences programme last June,” said a joint statement received in Dhaka from the US Department of State on Wednesday night. The US Department of State, the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR), the US Agency for International Development, and the Department of Labor issued the joint statement on the anniversary of Rana Plaza building collapse in Bangladesh, according to a news agency.