EU eyes fair elections, rule of law in Bangladesh
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EU Ambassador Michael Miller
The interim government led by Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus has broad support and popularity, said Michael Miller, the European Union (EU) Ambassador to Bangladesh.
He said that democratic elections should be held after all the processes, through which a new parliament and a government with the mandate of the people will be formed. As a result, people will be aware of the 'rule of law and respect' for fundamental rights.
EU Ambassador Michael Miller made these remarks in a recent interview with UNB.
Stating that despite the 'sky-high' ambitions, change is always 'difficult', he said, these are the principles that are at the core of the relationship between the European Union and Bangladesh.
The Bangladesh-EU partnership is seen as rapidly developing and dynamic. Last year, the two sides celebrated 50 years of relations.
Ambassador Miller said that the popularity of the Chief Adviser and the interim government is very clear. Having support from everyone, regardless of party affiliation, is actually very powerful.
He said, these are difficult times. It is not possible to do everything or all the reforms at once, but some successes need to be achieved quickly. Miller said, the government needs to prove that it is capable of reforms. “The ambitions are sky-high. The pressure from the street is very strong and there is still some success to be achieved quickly that is constructive.”
He said, “There needs to be a process to move towards elections. We think it is very important to get that process right and give the interim government some time; so that they can prove that they are capable of these reforms.”
Miller noted that the implementation of these is very complex. At the same time, Miller told the advisers that they do not lack resources.
He said, “We do not lack political will. Please tell us what your priorities are and then give us the opportunity to work very closely with you. We can do a lot.’
After taking office amid unprecedented changes, Ambassador Miller is now eager to help the government implement the country’s transformation and expected reforms. Good governance, democracy and respect for fundamental rights are important to both.
The first round of talks on a new Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) between Bangladesh and the European Union (EU) was postponed in August.
The ambassador said they have a written message for a new agreement between the EU and Bangladesh. It was sent to the Bangladeshi side two weeks ago.
The EU will continue to negotiate a Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) with Bangladesh. The PCA’s future objective is to improve their relationship to include a wide range of policy areas, including climate change and security.
Miller said, “We are now preparing a high-level mission from Brussels. They will be in Dhaka in the first week of November and where we will discuss not only this new PCA, but also the progress of the agreement and the joint commission with the interim government.’
He said there is a strong political message and beyond the political message, it is important for them to make the changes they want smoothly.
He said, ‘We wanted there to be an ambition to introduce good governance everywhere. Of course, this is a time of respect for the rule of law and human rights, which we are seeing.’
Ambassador Miller said they have good things to say about the Bangladesh-EU relationship. When he leaves in three or four years, he will want this partnership to be political and rights-based, as well as commercial and development-based.
He said, ‘But the opportunity to do more together is going to be in the political fundamentals, which you have started and where we can probably help.’
The ambassador said if they can increase foreign direct investment (FDI) and that is more consistent with the commercial relationship, he would consider that a good outcome.
“We have just established the European Chamber of Commerce with this in mind for partnership. Then there is also the matter of agreeing on an international rules-based system for Bangladesh and the European Union. I cannot imagine Bangladesh being any different from us. Our decisions should be used to serve the common interest and engage both sides,” he said.
The EU is Bangladesh’s main trading partner. Because the country is a ready-made garment powerhouse and enjoys duty-free and quota-free access to the EU market. This is demonstrating the hard-working spirit of the country’s people and creating demand for its products worldwide.
The EU says the next chapter in Bangladesh’s success story will be written because they will help diversify the country’s economy.
To this end, the EU is encouraging greater investment in infrastructure, connectivity, digitalisation and the private sector through the EU’s Global Gateway initiative as a path to safe, open and sustainable economic growth.
At the same time, they are strengthening our business promotion through the new European Chamber of Commerce and will of course continue to support fair practices and labour sector reforms.
Three things to do
On trade and economic cooperation, the ambassador said they want to do three things.
The first is to help the government address the difficulties in doing business.
“So, it’s not 39 stop shops, but rather one stop shop,” the ambassador said. It will be. It is very straightforward. Instead of convincing our own economic operators to invest, we can do it more easily by making it easier to do business.
He said that while the trade relationship is ‘extensive’ and really ‘impressive’, the foreign direct investment relationship is not that much and it does not match them.
He said that the FDI stock is 10 times less than some other countries in the region that compete with Bangladesh in the European market. They need to work together on this.
The second, as a priority for economic relations, will be to find ways to remove barriers.
“It is from port to market to energy supply, customs and transport – we are very active in all areas and the European Investment Bank is also active here,” said Miller.
The ambassador said that the effort is to ensure ease of doing business, removing barriers and then moving to GSP Plus.
The ambassador said that the ready-made garments sector is really very attractive and there are also state-of-the-art factories in this sector. Of course, the factories that he visited are attractive.
Miller said, “There will be development needs everywhere in this sector. You certainly have huge potential. There are challenges in transitioning from LDC. For example, we need to make sure it is a very smooth transition, improve workplace safety standards in the ready-made garment sector; which basically adopts a business model called a circular economy.’
He said that it is very important that the country implements all labor market standards and environmental standards.
Miller said, ‘To ensure that the country can move towards a business model with excellent quality standards, we will encourage investment in Bangladesh. But it has to be in something other than ready-made garments; that adds more value.’
On diversification, he said, he would have to talk to their authorities and find out in which sectors Bangladesh is competitive. ‘In that case, I think it is leather. It could also be pharmaceuticals and light engineering.’
He talked about diversification, because at present the trade relationship is very narrowly concentrated and they consider that Bangladesh should not be overly concentrated because of the GSP Plus system.
He added, “So it is time to plan for other sectors in this very dynamic country to become competitive. Likewise, preparing to enter the European market. I think it is in your interest and clearly ours as well.”
On increasing the price of Bangladeshi products, the ambassador said it is a collective responsibility. Miller said European consumers care about the reputation of the companies that produce their products.
The EU said it has a strong record in building people-to-people relations, especially with a special focus on young people. Bangladesh is one of the most important partners for EU Erasmus+ scholarships. The country also receives significant support for higher education institutions.
The ambassador said they are very keen to work closely with Bangladesh and can work together more in international organizations.
He said, “What is happening in Ukraine is very important for European security. So, there is no doubt that this will continue to influence our political relations with all partners, including our close partners.’
In the broader global context, the EU and Bangladesh have been working together for many years on multilateral solutions to address global challenges.
