Labour and Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury has stated that the current government is fully committed to protecting workers' rights and ensuring a safe working environment. He noted that labour sector reform is an ongoing process, with the Bangladesh Labour (Amendment) Act, 2026 recently enacted to advance international labour standards. The Minister made these remarks during a meeting with International Labour Organization (ILO) Director General Gilbert Houngbo at the minister's office in the Secretariat. The meeting discussed modernizing Bangladesh's labour sector, reforming labour laws, creating new employment opportunities, and strengthening bilateral cooperation to ensure international labour standards.
Ariful Haque mentioned that Bangladesh was the first country in Asia to ratify all 10 core ILO Conventions, enhancing the country's global image. He informed that the amendment of the Bangladesh Labour Rules 2015, formation of a tripartite 'National Social Dialogue Forum,' and introduction of a Digital Case Management System alongside an independent alternative dispute resolution mechanism are progressing rapidly. Additionally, initiatives have been taken to introduce the nationalization of the 'Employment Injury Scheme' to build an integrated social security net for workers in both formal and informal sectors.
The Minister further said that efforts are underway to establish a new Employment Directorate under the ministry to create employment opportunities for skilled manpower both domestically and abroad. He emphasized that the current government is determined to ensure complete transparency and accountability in every sector, and no irregularities or syndicates will be tolerated in labour migration. The government is also working to send workers to various countries, including Malaysia, through transparent processes at lower cost.
Calling for increased technical and institutional cooperation from the ILO to address challenges of technology and global changes and ensure safe working environments, the Minister said Bangladesh has been playing a highly responsible role as a member of the governing body. Recognizing the positive changes and milestones, he strongly urged the Director General to expedite the resolution of the ongoing complaint case against Bangladesh under Article 26 of the ILO. ILO Director General Gilbert Houngbo highly praised Bangladesh's groundbreaking labour sector reforms, particularly the ratification of the 10 core Conventions and the enactment of the new Labour Act in 2026. He assured that the ILO will stand by Bangladesh in maintaining freedom of association and international labour standards in all workplaces, including EPZs, protecting migrant workers, and creating employment opportunities, and will continue policy and technical cooperation in all areas, including a proposed joint mission next year.
