An open hearing on an appeal by a US rights group to withdraw the US Generalised System of Preference (GSP) from Bangladesh will be held at the United States Trade Representatives (USTR) in Washington today.

The hearing has been convened following the allegation from American Federation of Labour and Congress of Industrial Organisations (AFL-CIO) that Bangladesh does not allow labour rights in export processing zones.

Representatives from Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (Bepza), Bangladesh Garment Manufactures and Exporters Association (BGMEA), Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) and Bangladesh Frozen Food Exporters Association and the ministries of commerce and foreign affairs will attend the hearing, sources said.

Although GSP facilities extend a little benefit to Bangladesh, any lifting of such facilities would certainly establish the AFL-CIO’s claims about violation of labour rights in Bangladesh.

BGMEA President Anwarul Alam Chowdhury Parvez said although Bangladesh apparel sector does not enjoy GSP facilities from US, any anti-Bangladesh decision after taking the petition into consideration by the USTR would take serious toll on the country’s exports to the US.

Such a decision may send a wrong signal to the US traders as well as consumers about use of Bangladeshi products, he noted.

In its petition, the AFL-CIO made four complaints that included violation of domestic and internationally recognised workers’ rights in EPZs, violation of domestic labour laws and internationally recognised labour standard in readymade garments (RMG) industry, similar violations in shrimp and fish processing industries, and violent actions by government security forces against trade unionists, workers and labour rights groups.

Meanwhile, leaders of RMG labour organisations yesterday urged the US government not to discontinue the GSP facility for Bangladesh just to satisfy the US-based labour rights group.

They said if the US government considers the false and baseless petition filed by the rights group, Bangladesh’s RMG sector will face a massive setback, resulting in joblessness for female garment workers.

Bangladesh Garments Workers Union Council (BGWUC) made the appeal at a press conference held at The Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) office.

They demanded continuation of the GSP facilities for Bangladeshi products and even expansion of the facilities for apparels on the plea that the sector is dependent fully on female workers.

“If the US authorities want to empower global women, especially the Bangladeshi poor women, they should not consider the complaint lodged by the AFL-CIO, rather they should continue the GSP facilities for Bangladesh,” Nazma Akther, president of the Sammilito Garments Sramik Federation, told the journalists.

She said the AFL-CIO prepared the report on Bangladesh on the basis of a study conducted by its local representative Solidarity Centre Bangladesh, which has no knowledge about the labour rights situation here.

About 177 elected workers’ welfare committees are actively working in the EPZs of Bangladesh, she said, adding that the association is also not aware of any incidents of repression on workers in the industry.

Labour leaders Salahuddin Shawpan, Selina Ahmed Tania, Jahanara Begaum, M Delwar Hossain, Sahidullah Badal, Sultana Khan, Rokya Sultana Anju and Md. Nurul Islam were present at the press conference among others.

Besides, Garments Tailors Workers League in a press statement yesterday also demanded continuation of the GSP facilities.