Cecilia Malmstrom, Trade Commissioner of the European Union (EU) would be skipping a crucial review meeting on Sustainability Compact in November this year, in Dhaka. Officials said she would not be present because of government's failure to enact rules on Bangladesh's labour law.

Amid persuasion from global buyers, especially readymade garments, in July 2013, the law was amended. The B’desh government, since then promised to formulate implementation rules of the law several times, but has not done so far. Tapan Kanti Ghosh, Commercial Counsellor at Bangladesh mission in Belgium, in June informed Dhaka that Malmström would skip the review meeting unless the gazette of rules on implementation of Bangladesh Labour Law is published before July 8. He added that she wanted to see more progress before she arrived in Dhaka.

Tofail Ahmed, Commerce Minister, wrote to Malmström in the first week of July inviting her to attend the review meeting in Dhaka, said officials. Malmström however, replied to the minister in the first week of September about her inability to attend the programme due to 'busy work schedule'. Officials though, believe that she is skipping the meeting as the government did not publish the gazette notification of implementation rules of the labour law.