Government officials and business leaders have downplayed the significance of a diplomatic note from the Bangladesh embassy in Washington DC to the commerce ministry, addressing potential trade penalties and visa restrictions related to labour issues.
Commerce Secretary Tapan Kanti Ghosh emphasised that the communication was routine and not an alert.
The diplomatic note referred to a US memorandum focused on advancing worker empowerment, rights, and high labour standards globally.
While the memorandum was presented as a global policy, concerns were raised in the letter signed by Md Salim Raza, the Minister (Commerce) at the Bangladesh embassy in Washington DC, suggesting that Bangladesh might be a target.
The letter highlighted that labour issues in Bangladesh were specifically mentioned by the US Secretary of State and Acting Secretary of Labor when announcing the memorandum.
