The Generalized System of Preference (GSP) for Bangladeshi products in the US market was suspended in 2013. One of the conditions for getting back the desired GSP benefits was the abolition of child labor. But child labor still exists in Bangladesh in the production of clothing, leather goods, dried fish and bricks, according to a report by the US Department of Labor. There, this labor is mentioned as the most dangerous and the worst. In such a situation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has recently written to the Ministry of Labor and Employment, Trade and Women and Children Affairs to take necessary steps to eliminate risky child labor. This information has been known from the relevant sources.

The State Department said in a letter that the worst forms of child labor would have to be eliminated in order to regain GSP benefits in the US market in the future. Therefore, the steps taken by the Government of Bangladesh regarding the elimination of child labor in the formal and informal sectors mentioned in the report and the possible areas of discussion and cooperation between Bangladesh and the United States Government on these issues should be identified and sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. (Source: “The US GSP will not return unless child labor is abolished”, Bonikbarta.net, 2 November 2021).

Comment:
Does the Colonialist USA really care about the welfare of the children in Bangladesh or any other Muslim lands? Is she in a position to claim moral high-ground in stopping child labor and ensuring normal and productive lives of our children? We still remember how the US economic sanctions against Iraq in the throughout 90s devastated lives of millions of children over there. In May 1996, Madeleine Albright, who was then Clinton’s U.N. ambassador, was interviewed by 60 Minutes correspondent Lesley Stahl in reference to years of U.S.-led economic sanctions against Iraq. When Lesley said that half a million children have died in Iraq which were more children than died in Hiroshima, and if still Albright thought that was the price worth it, Albright responded, “I think that is a very hard choice, but the price, we think, the price is worth it”. Due to the senseless proxy war between America and Britain for political influence in Yemen, 10,000 children have already been killed or injured since fighting started in March 2015. US is using her pawns in the Middle East to instigate war for her geopolitical gains. To reshape the political landscape of Yemen, which has been strong foothold of Britain for more than 170 years, it is acceptable to the US to kill thousands of children and innocent civilians. What pressure did US actually put on butcher Assad to stop the sufferings of the children of Ash-Sham whose lives have been totally devastated by the US-backed regime, and many of who have fled the country to seek refuge in European countries but living over there in miserable conditions! So this GSP facility tactic to stop child labor in Bangladesh is northing but strong tool of the colonialist America to put pressure on puppet regimes of Bangladesh to attain her heinous agenda.

Due to the traitorous puppet regimes of the Muslim lands, the colonialist America and other western evils could play with the lives our children. To restore the honor of this Ummah, we must bring back the promised second Khilafah Rashidah (Righteous Caliphate) upon the method of the Prophethood without any further delay.

Imadul Amin
Member of the Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir / Wilayah Bangladesh