Dhaka, August 25 — Financial advisor Salehuddin Ahmed stated that Bangladesh could regain its Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) benefits from the United States if it meets the conditions set by the U.S. government. He made this statement after a meeting with Helen Lafave, Charge d'Affaires of the U.S. Embassy, at the Secretariat on Sunday.

Salehuddin Ahmed noted that discussions focused on some U.S. observations regarding labor rights in Bangladesh. He assured Helen Lafave that these issues would be resolved promptly, indicating that Bangladesh would regain GSP benefits once the conditions are fulfilled.

Additionally, the meeting covered topics such as financing for coastal area development in Bangladesh. Ahmed emphasized that Bangladesh is not heavily indebted to the United States, as most of the financial support is provided in the form of grants.

It is worth noting that the United States suspended Bangladesh's GSP facility in June 2013, citing the need to improve the working environment in the country's factories. This decision came in the wake of the Tazreen Fashions fire and the Rana Plaza collapse, which highlighted serious safety and labor rights issues. Despite various improvements since then, the U.S. has yet to restore the GSP benefits for Bangladesh.