The country’s leading exporters and businesses said Bangladesh products should be granted duty free access to the US market in consideration of the damaged caused to the former’s economy by natural calamities such as floods and cyclone recently.

Bangladesh faced a devastating cyclone on November 15 that killed more than 4000 people and rendered hundreds of thousands homeless. Fish farms, standing crops, homesteads and infrastructure were badly damaged by the cyclonic storm.

The businessmen expressed the hope that Bangladesh would be considered with liberal attitude under the proposed New Partnership and Development Act (NPDA) -2007 by the US Congress.

Business circles said that Sri Lanka obtained the facilities of generalised system of preference (GSP) from the European Union (EU) after Tsunami in 2004.

The EU granted the GSP to Sri Lanka due to the adverse effects of Tsunami on the latter’s economy although it was not a least developed country (LDC).

President of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Mir Nasir Hossain told the FE that the government should enhance its diplomatic efforts to see the passage of the bill besides raising the issue of the Sidr to the international community.

“The BGMEA raised the issue recently in its meeting with the government and I think it might be a relevant issue to help pass the bill,” he added.

President of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Anowar-Ul Alam Chowdhury Pervez told the FE that the government might raise the Sidr issue under the US government as the cyclone not only affected the overall economy but also caused widespread damage to the village homes of workers who are employed by the apparel sector.

“We might amend the bill through negotiations with congressmen and their aides as it has strict conditions on the labour and value addition. I think we might raise the Sidr and its effect to help pass the bill,” he added.

President of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) Md Fazlul Hoque told the FE that the government should plan a strategy to ensure the passage of the bill in the US Congress.

“Our workers might also play a vital role to help amendments to the bill as a good number of workers hailing from the coastal districts have been affected due to the cyclone,” he added.

The bill once passed will enable Bangladesh, along with other least developed countries, to get duty free access to the US market. Currently, African nations are getting such facilities under a similar act.

Apart from this, the export of frozen foods and others potential items might get benefit from the bill.