The EU delegation is coming to Dhaka to see the situation of Bangladesh's labor sector

News Desk: A delegation of European Union (EU) is coming to Dhaka to see the situation of labor sector in Bangladesh. The delegation is scheduled to reach Dhaka next Monday. This information has been known from the sources of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

EU Ambassador to Dhaka Charles Whiteley has confirmed the visit of the EU delegation to Bangladesh to inspect the labor sector. He told the media that the delegation would visit the country to discuss the National Action Plan on Labor or the National Action Plan on Labor Sector. During the visit, they will hold meetings with the concerned ministries, private sector and labor organizations.

Foreign Ministry sources said the visit was delayed for a long time due to Corona. Bangladesh is on the way to becoming a developing country from LDC in 2026. As per the rules, the existing GSP facility is not supposed to be available after transition from LDC. However, the EU has extended this facility until 2029. In order to get GSP Plus benefits, Bangladesh is working to improve the overall situation starting from the labor environment accordingly. As a result, diplomats believe that it will be easier to get GSP Plus benefits if the current labor sector situation is satisfactory through development.

As a result, Bangladesh is taking the tour very seriously. The EU delegation will be in Bangladesh from March 14 to 18. It will be led by Jordi Kurel Gotore, Director General of Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion.

A senior State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: "The Ministry of Labor is working to improve the overall environment in the labor sector in accordance with the standards set by the United Nations International Labor Organization (ILO) and the EU. A national action plan has been taken to stop child labor from Bangladesh between 2020 and 2025. Apart from this, work is being done on National Action Plan for Labor Sector (2021-2028), to stop forced labor, violence in the workplace and torture. The law ministry is also working on these laws and regulations.

However, there are a number of existing challenges in the sector, the official said, adding, "These are being taken seriously. The government has decided to refrain from denying the challenges as before. Otherwise, it could have a detrimental effect on the economy in the future. "

The delegation will assess the overall economic, social, human rights and environmental development of the labor sector. On 19 July 2021, the Foreign Secretary level meeting 'Diplomatic Consultation' was held between Bangladesh and the EU. After the meeting, the EU extended the GSP facility till 2029. The Foreign Ministry sees this as a diplomatic success. Bangladesh has already started working to get GSP Plus benefits. Bangladesh's ready-made garment industry has undergone visible reforms and improvements since the Tazreen and Rana Plaza accidents. However, there are still some issues that Western buyers are unhappy with. Trade unions disagree. Although this facility is provided on paper, trade unions are not effective.

The foreign ministry says the EU is already vocal in Europe on illegal Bangladeshi issues, human rights and democracy, and labor issues. At the same time, they are excited about the development and progress of Bangladesh. As a result, the EU countries are no longer willing to see Bangladesh as a development partner. Europe now considers Bangladesh as an important country in the South Asian region.

Comments (0)