The European Union has voiced apprehension about human rights and labour rights in Bangladesh, citing concerns, particularly in freedom of association, despite the country’s National Action Plan on the Labour Sector (NAP) and regular progress reports every six months.
Reports maintained this adding the EU’s assessment report on the generalised scheme of preferences (GSP) for 2020-2022, released recently, warned of the potential withdrawal of preferences for GSP beneficiaries in cases of serious and systematic violations of core human and labour rights.
This has raised alarms among apparel exporters, although experts remain divided on the level of concern.
The EU’s GSP, aiming to reduce poverty and generate jobs, currently encompasses 65 countries trading with the EU under three arrangements:
Standard GSP, GSP+, and EBA. The report highlights increased EU engagement with Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Myanmar, citing concerns raised by the UN, ILO, and civil society regarding human and labour rights deficiencies.
