(23 minutes ago) Tuesday, November 21, 2023, 8:44 PM
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam MP has said that the US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s statement regarding the ‘life threat’ of Bangladeshi garment worker leader Kalpana Akhtar will be sought for clarification. Talking to reporters at Segunbagicha on Tuesday, the state minister said, “We will ask the United States for clarification on the statement given by the US Secretary of State that Kalpana Akhtar was threatened because of us or by someone else. US Secretary of State Anthony J. Blinken quoted Kalpana Akhter’s statement on November 16 at the official announcement of the memorandum signed by President Joe Biden to protect global labor rights. The new labor policy approved by the US president includes measures such as country-by-country sanctions for practices that violate labor rights. Foreign Minister Anthony Blinken cited the example of Bangladesh labor rights activist Kalpana Akhter in the US labor policy announcement and said, “We want to stand by people like Bangladeshi garment worker and activist Kalpana Akhter; Kalpana said that he is still alive because the US Embassy played a role on his behalf.
When asked about the government’s position on the US Secretary of State’s statement, the State Minister for Foreign Affairs said, If I remember correctly, Kalpana Akhtar was arrested only once in Bangladesh in 2010. He is not alone, several other labor leaders along with him were arrested while protesting while on duty. Later their case was withdrawn. Referring to Kalpana Akhtar’s arrest in the United States while protesting for financial compensation after the Rana Plaza collapse, Shahriar said that when some buyers in western countries refused to pay financial compensation to those factories after the Rana Plaza collapse, Kalpana Akhtar and two others were arrested in the United States while protesting. . Claiming that Kalpana Akhtar never informed the government or the law enforcement agencies about the threat to his life in Bangladesh, the state minister said, “We have checked the records of the Bangladesh Police.” The state minister said to the journalists, if you can go and ask him.
Did he say that at all? If so, on what basis? I think it is the responsibility of journalist brothers and sisters to find it. But the threat he felt, he never told anyone in Bangladesh in the past.
The state minister said, of course we will try to find the truth of the ‘threat’. Regarding Kalpana’s activities, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs said that Kalpana Akter has been leading an NGO to ensure labor rights in Bangladesh with great success. Shahriar Alam commented that there is no reason for Bangladesh to be worried about the United States’ announcement of the application of other sanctions if the labor rights are taken away. Anthony Blinken’s statement was at the APEC summit, not just the garment industry or the textile industry or any bilateral meeting with Bangladesh. It is a global initiative whereby they are assigning additional responsibilities to ambassadors in their embassies. But in the case of Bangladesh, the United States has already appointed a labor attaché subject to negotiation. The state minister said, I think there is no reason for Bangladesh to be worried about this move. Stating that Bangladesh has been applauded for receiving the labor affairs officer at the US Embassy, the State Minister said, the United States does not get as much advantage, or get the opportunity to be involved as much as Bangladesh has done in any of the competing countries in the garment sector of Bangladesh or those countries with which it competes.
Tags: Bangladesh seek explanation Blinkens statement Kalpana Akta