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| The US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, attends ‘A conversation with Bangladesh’ in the International School, Dhaka auditorium in the Bashundhara residential area in Dhaka on Sunday. — New Age photo |
By Mushfique Wadud
The US secretary of state, Hillary Rodham Clinton said on Sunday Bangladesh should address the labour problems in the garment sector so that big foreign manufacturers did not shy away from investing in the industry here.
‘The labour problems in the garment industries have to be solved because you do not want to earn a reputation as a place where labour leaders and activists are murdered...,’ Hillary said at a question-and-answer session with students and youth leaders at International School Dhaka in the capital.
Terming ‘worrisome’ the labour problems in the garment sector, she said the country should address the issue ‘because in today’s world that will cause big manufacturers of clothing to be afraid to stay or come to Bangladesh.’
Students from different schools, colleges and universities and young leaders joined the session which was the last programme of her 24-hour visit to Bangladesh.
Referring to the recent murder of labour leader Aminul Islam, Hillary said that an independent investigation into his killing was needed and the perpetrators should be brought to justice...‘because, certainly, his [Aminul’s] family and friends deserve answers about what happened to him.’
Hillary said it was a real test for the government and for the society ‘to make sure that you don’t say that anyone can have impunity. That is the key issue for the rule of law.’
She said that no one should be above the law no matter how powerful they were.
‘There needs to be total rule of law with no impunity,’ she said.
Labour leader Aminul Islam went missing in April, and his body was found two days later outside Dhaka.
Hillary urged the government, garment manufacturers and labour organisations to work together so that Bangladesh remained a very important destination for foreign investors.
To a question on Grameen Bank, the US secretary of state advised the Bangladesh government not to do anything that could undermine or affect the successes of the bank.
On the political situation here, Hillary said that she had told prime minister Sheikh Hasina and opposition leader Khaleda Zia that they needed to work together. ‘I told them I wish you could figure out ways to work together…’
A national unity was needed in Bangladesh, she said.
Students interacted with Hillary with cheers during the session that lasted about an hour from 11:00am.
Hillary was in Dhaka on a two-day official visit starting from Saturday. The two countries signed a ‘joint declaration on Bangladesh-US partnership dialogue’ creating scope for regular annual consultations at foreign minister and foreign secretary levels on bilateral issues.
Hillary, who was on a tri-nation tour of China, Bangladesh and India starting May 3, left Dhaka for Kolkata at about 12:15pm on Sunday.
It was her third visit to Dhaka after 1995 and 2000.
Source: New Age, Monday, May 7, 2012
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