Staff correspondent :

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters
Association (BGMEA) president Faruque Hassan today said that the United
States’ visa restrictions would not put any impact on apparel exports to the
American market for now.

He also said that the US has not put any sanction on the country rather it
imposed visa restrictions on individuals.

Faruque said this while addressing a press conference on the current scenario
of the readymade garment sector held at the BGMEA headquarters at Uttara in
the city.

He said that the US authorities have rights to determine who would be allowed
to enter in their country and it would not hamper business.

“We’re not concerned about the visa restrictions, rather we’re working to
address the business-related concerns of the US,” Faruque said.

Recently a delegation from the Office of the United States Trade
Representative visited BGMEA for the first time and expressed their concerns
over the reforms of labour laws and minimum wages of the workers, he said.

“We informed the delegation that the process for the amendment of labor laws
is going on and at the same time the minimum wage board, formed by the
government, is working to review the workers’ wages,” BGMEA president said.

He also said that during the pandemic they could not travel to any country
although business was running.

“If the US imposes visa restrictions on any individual businessman, it would
not hurt export of apparel to the US for now,” Faruque said.

The BGMEA president in the press conference also said that the Customs
Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID) has recently claimed that
10 companies laundered Taka 300 crore in the name of RMG exports, which was
completely false.

“Out of 10 companies, four are the members of BGMEA and two are registered
with Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA). We
had formed a committee to investigate the matter and it was found that the
firms are not involved in such activities,” he said.

He demanded to form a separate task force to investigate the allegation of
money laundering by the garment factories so the truth is revealed.

The BGMEA president also claimed that without any investigation, the CIID
issued a media release blaming garment companies for laundering money which
was a conspiracy against the export sector and country as well.

Faruque said that if the officials of the National Board of Revenue (NBR)
failed to prove allegations against garment companies, they will have to face
legal action.

Former BGMEA president Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin said that it was a deviation
from law as a media release has been issued with false allegations against
the garment industry.

Mohiuddin, also a parliament member, said that the officials who spread false
news against the garment sector and hampered the image of the country should
be punished.

Former BGMEA president Abdus Salam Murshedy, senior vice-president SM Mannan
Kochi and vice-president Md Shahidullah Azim, among others, attended the
press conference.

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