Post-Rana Plaza initiatives hailed

A Paris-based global forum has commended steps taken by Bangladesh to address the challenges in the clothing industry after Rana Plaza tragedy.

The foreign ministry said Secretary General of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has said they were considering taking up the experience in Bangladesh “as a model for replicating elsewhere in the world”.

The EU Trade commissioner Karel De Gucht also lauded Bangladesh steps, particularly “comprehensive engagement”, in the aftermath of the worst ever building collapse that killed more than 1,100 people last year in Savar, on the capital Dhaka’s outskirts.

Two-day second global forum on ‘Responsible Business Conduct’ organised by the OECD ended on Friday.

Junior foreign minister Md Shahriar Alam led a Bangladesh delegation to the forum. The delegation included representatives from the Ministry of Labour and Employment, garments manufacturers and exporters association and workers.

He presented a keynote paper during a session on “Rana Plaza Aftermath: Responsible Supply Chains in the Textiles and Garment Sector”.

Alam urged the global apparel industry stakeholders “to remain engaged and fulfil all the remaining commitments” made after the tragedy.

He highlighted his government’s steps after the building collapse and said they had engaged all the stakeholders to address the challenges of ensuring building safety and workers’ rights.

He also stressed that the retailers within the global supply chain “need to address issues relating to fair pricing and other support measures in sustaining the industry in Bangladesh”.

The junior minister said the clothing sector has contributed in poverty reduction, economic growth, employment generation and overall social transformation in Bangladesh.

The Deputy Director General of ILO, Dutch Development Minister, and the French Finance Minister attended the two and a half hour session among others.

During his stay in Paris, Alam also had a meeting with the EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht.

The Commissioner expressed “EU’s satisfaction” over the implementation of the commitments under the ‘Bangladesh Sustainability Compact’.

The compact package has been rolled out on July 8 last year, in the aftermath of the tragedy, in Geneva among Bangladesh, EU, USA and the ILO.

They also discussed about holding of a high level meeting on the compact later this year in Brussels.

The Deputy Director General of OECD William Denver also called on the State Minister on the sidelines of the forum.