A delegation of the European Parliament (EP) arrived here Sunday night to discuss post-election scenario in Bangladesh and see the progress made in the readymade garment industry after the Rana Plaza building collapse.
Chairperson of the Delegation for Relations with South Asia Jean Lambert is leading the EP team just ahead of the first anniversary of the catastrophic Rana Plaza building collapse, which cost over a thousand lives of garment workers.The other members of the cross-party EP Delegation are: John Attard-Montalto (Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats), Salvador Sedo i Alabart (European People’s Party), and Niccolò Rinaldi (Alliance of Democrats and Liberals).
The Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) will discuss with relevant stakeholders the implementation of the measures adopted to improve factory safety and workers’ rights, notably the EU-Bangladesh Global Sustainability Compact.
Concerned that the political parties did not manage to agree on an inclusive mechanism for the January 2014 elections, the EP delegation will discuss the post-election scenario as well as social and economic issues with key Bangladeshi decision-makers and civil society representatives.
During the two-day visit that officially started today (Monday) , the EP delegation will meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed, BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and representatives of civil society. – UNB
