Dhaka requested the United States Trade Representative (USTR), the chief trade negotiation body of the American government, to restore the GSP status for Bangladesh as the country has already fulfilled most of the preconditions outlined in the US provided Action Plan 2013.

Mohammad Ziauddin, the newly appointed Bangladeshi Ambassador to the US, discussed the GSP (generalised system

of preferences) issue with Michael Froman, chief of the USTR, during a meeting at the latter's office in Washington on Wednesday, says a press release issued by the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington.

In his response, Froman acknowledged Bangladesh's many positive steps to ensuring workers' safety and upholding their rights as per the country’s law.

Froman, however, stressed that full implementation of the Aaion Plan 2013 is

FROM PAGE 20

indispensable to ensuring workers' benefits and upholding their rights. He also stressed the need for fair labour practices in Bangladesh, the release says.

After the Tazreen Fashions fire and Rana Plaza building collapse the Obama Administration suspended the GSP status for Bangladesh in June last year citing serious shortcomings in workplace safety and labour rights.

In July last year, the USTR added 16 conditions to the Action Plan for Bangladesh to regain the GSPstatus.

According to the release Mohammad Ziauddin said majority of the conditions set in the Action Plan have already been fulfilled by the Bangladesh government, the garment factory owners and other stakeholders. The few remaining ones, too, are in various stages of implementation.

The Bangladesh Ambassador also emphasised that the USTR should mull over restoring GSP status for Bangladesh in its next review of the GSP scheme considering the progresses the country

has made within such a short time

Currently, the US GSP scheme remains suspended for all beneficiary countries includingBangladesh.

In the meeting Ziauddin also pressed for duty-free access of Bangladeshi products to the US market.

Both Ambassador Ziauddin and Ambassador Froman agreed that all the stakeholders should continue to work together in the coming days to resolve the trade related issues between the two countries, including that of the restora-tionoftheGSP. They also discussed issues related to trade and investment between the two countries, says the release.

Michael Froman was assisted by Michael J Delaney (Assistant USTR for South & Central Asia), William Jackson (Deputy Assistant USTR for GSP Affairs), Michael O'donovan (Deputy Assistant USTR for Labour) and Behnaz Kibria (Deputy Chief of Staff, USTR Office) while the Bangladesh Ambassador was accompanied by Md Shafiqul Islam, commercial counselor of the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington DC.