The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Restrictions on all kinds of trade union activities in the country are going to be relaxed within the next one week.

"The government has already decided in principle to relax restrictions on trade union activities. We are going to relax the restrictions soon," Labour and Local Government Adviser Anwarul Iqbal told journalists yesterday. The Home Ministry is examining the matter and they will issue a circular soon in this regard, he said. The Adviser said the government is going to relax restrictions on trade union activities taking the country's economic situation into consideration.

The Labour Adviser will sit with the representatives of different trade unions next week and the restrictions will be relaxed before that meeting.

Anwarul Iqbal also indicated that the trade unions would be able to hold their elections with prior permission from the local administration in their respective areas. It is learnt that the caretaker government has decided to relax restrictions following the United States asked the government to lift ban on trade union activities and improve labour rights in the garment factories before it holds a hearing on Bangladesh's GSP facilities in October. The US made the call late last month at a meeting between Bangladeshi diplomats and the US Trade Representative in Washington DC where the country's labour rights situation came under heavy flak from the world's top trading country.

During the meeting the USTR handed over a list of demands to the Bangladeshi officials, seeking progress on key labour issues before the Washington holds public hearing on GSP facilities, under which some Bangladeshi products get duty-free access to America.

"Lifting of prohibition on trade union activities throughout the country," was the top of the US demand, according to a letter sent by Bangladesh's commercial councilor to the US Kazi Md Shamsul Alam.

The caretaker government, which came to power on January 11 last year after a state of emergency was imposed, issued a notification on January 27, 2007 banning all kinds of political and trade union activities throughout the country under the Emergency Power Rules (EPR).

The government also restricted processions, demonstrations, hartals, strikes and lockouts across the country to ensure security of the state and people, and maintain discipline in public life.