The New Nation - Internet Edition

Syful Islam

Bangladesh will again face public hearing before the United States Trade Representative (USTR) next month over child labour and labour rights issue, informed sources said.

In the hearing the Bangladeshi officials will have to inform the progress made during the last one year regarding child labour and labour rights issue.

Bangladeshi representatives will be given 5 minutes of time for testimony followed by a question-answer session from a panel of officials headed by the Executive Director of Generalised System of Preference (GSP) programme Merideth Joy Sandler on labour rights issue.

Before the public hearing the country has to submit a pre-hearing brief this month.

Under the GSP programme Bangladesh ships 1 per cent of its total exports to US market free of duty.

Bangladesh is facing charges of labour rights denial and existence of child labour in the factories. The American Federation of Labour and Congress of Industrial Organisations (AFL-CIO) filed petition before the USTR on June 22, 2007 to remove Bangladesh from the eligible beneficiary list of GSP facilities.

The US labour federation alleged violation of domestic and internationally recognised workers rights in the Export Procession Zones (EPZs).

It also alleged labour standards in the readymade garment sector and in the shrimp and fish processing industries.

The labour body also drew the notice of USTR, to harassment and negation of rights by government security forces against the trade union leaders and activists.

On October 4, 2007 Bangladesh government officials stand before the USTR in Washington on the hearing and gave a presentation on Bangladesh's stand on labour rights issue. Later, they will also send the reply to some queries made by the USTR.

A three-member USTR delegation visited Dhaka from 14 to 16 April this year to scrutinise the progress made by the country.

To inform the Bangladesh's position a four-member Bangladesh team led by Fisheries Secretary Syed Ataur Rahman visited USTR office from June 16 to June 20. The team informed the USTR that no child labour was working in Bangladesh's shrimp industry.

The USTR expressed its satisfaction over child labour situation in Bangladesh following confirmation by the Bangladeshi team that no juvenile were employed in the industry.

Bangladesh is trying for a long time to get duty free access of its products to the US market. A bill seeking duty-free access of products of Bangladesh and 13 other Least Developed Countries (LDC) to the United States market was raised in the US Congress in 2005 but is yet to make any headway.

A new trade bill titled "The New Partnership for Development Act of 2007" allowing duty free access of goods of least developed countries to the US market is facing strong opposition from the US textile lobby and the African countries.