DHAKA: State minister for labor and employment Mujibul Haque Chunnu said the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asked to send a letter to the United States of America to arrange a visit for Bangladeshi delegations to their factories.

The minister was addressing a meeting of garment owners at BGMEA building in city on Tuesday.

The letter will be sent to the US foreign ministry, he informed the meeting, organized jointly by Bangladesh Garment Manufactures and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

The state minister said that there is no trade union in maximum factories in the USA, but, they criticize Bangladesh’s garment industry on this issue.

“Following the matter, I told them that a Bangladeshi delegation will visit some factories in the USA, but, they didn’t respond,” he added. “Now, the premier asked me to bring the matter to their notice in written.”

Chunnu, moreover, said that as Bangladesh stands second position in exporting readymade garment (RMG) items, local and international conspiracies are going on centering the industry.

Mentioning everyone must be conscious regarding the matter, he added that the industry stands on its own feet, not on anyone’s kindness.

However, the state minister criticized the data on harassment of female workers at the garment factories, presented by freelance researcher Dr Julia Ahmed in her keynote paper at the meeting.

“This is absurd to say that over 84 percent of female workers are being harassed at garment factories,” he added.

The state minister said asking that while the number of male workers is only 15 percent how they can harass the rest 85 percent female coworkers.

However, supporting the state minister, BGMEA president Atiqul Islam said that days have been changed.

“The work environment of 10 years past and nowadays is not the same,” he added.

He further said that a few people are conspiring against the RMG sector and everyone should prevent them.

BDST: 1817 HRS, DEC 02, 2014