DHAKA: US Secretary of State John Kerry called for improved worker rights in Bangladesh following the collapse of a garment factory complex and other disasters that have claimed more than 1,200 lives. During his first official visit to Bangladesh, Kerry met with labour and union leaders to discuss the impoverished nation’s $28 billion garment industry, the world’s second largest after China’s. Kerry said the United States supported Bangladesh’s efforts to increase safety inspections of garment factories and close down substandard buildings following the disasters. “But these steps are only part of the story. Enhancing worker safety must be paired with strengthening workers’ rights,” Kerry said in a speech in Dhaka. The top US diplomat said this included allowing workers to form unions and affording them full collective bargaining rights. “Bangladesh cannot truly meet the aspirations of its people and share prosperity if its workers are not safe and their rights are not ensured,” he added.