DHAKA: Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed urged foreign buyers to pay fair price for Readymade Garments made in Bangladesh.
He said, “Money needed for attaining anything. Factor-investment nothing is possible without money. But we are not getting fair prices from foreign buyers for readymade garments of Bangladesh.”
The minister told this while addressing a seminar titled ‘Bangladesh-Framing the Future: A High-Level Conference on the RMG and Rayon” at Hotel Westin on Thursday.
The Commerce Minister said after independence, Bangladesh has made much progress. Export revenues will be more than $33 billion in the current fiscal. Bangladesh will become a middle-income country by 2021, he hoped.
Tofail Ahmed said that after the Rana Plaza accident a variety of conditions had been imposed on us. We have fulfilled all conditions successfully. Trade unions have been allowed. Trade union leaders are being elected by vote.
“In the last two years, there has not been any kind of accident in garments. Government has taken measures to increase the salaries of workers. 219 percent wages have been increased for workers. Minimum wage has been increased to 97 dollars from 69 dollars. It was possible for the active role of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the minister told the audiences.
Tofail further said that Bangladesh is facing different kinds of pressure to allow trade unions. But, the United States allows only 7 percent trade unions in government sector while 35 percent in private sector.
The seminar was held for inauguration of “Two years into Rana Plaza accident and a new strategic sector initiative” at the initiative of the Embassy of Denmark in Dhaka and the Danish Ministry of Trade and Development.
200 guests from home and abroad attended the seminar. The seminar was arranged to fix strategy how to develop export markets on the basis of cooperation of multi-stakeholders in the garment industry capitalizing the experience and the achievement of past two years, said organizers.
On this occasion, the Danish Minister for Trade and Development Cooperation Mogens Jensen, in a statement, said, “Bangladesh has attained a significant progress lagging behind the Rana Plaza accidents. The new quality control management has been established with coordination of Bangladesh government, international community and RMG sector. A new path of reconciliation has also uncovered which has never seen anywhere in the world.”
In the seminar, BGMEA President Atikul Islam said, “In 2010 and 2011, there were two trade unions in the country's garment sector. Currently, there are 200 of trade unions.”
Citing that the government has taken several steps for the development of garment industry, the BGMEA president said, Munshiganj Economic Zone will help us to relocate our factories.
BDST: 1945 HRS, MAR 19, 2015
