ILO and 13 leading univs in Bangladesh sign MOU to integrate International Labour Standards

A signing ceremony of a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Thursday (8 May) between the International Labour Organization (ILO) and 13 public and private universities across Bangladesh was held to integrate International Labour Standards (ILS) in Labour Law curricula.

"It is a significant day today as ILO and universities in Bangladesh have joined forces to build the capacity of lecturers to integrate International Labour Standards into their labour law curriculum," stated AHM Shafiquzzaman, secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoLE) said.

Stating the significance of the MoU, the secretary mentioned that the labour law exists so that workers of Bangladesh have access to justice, according to a press release.

"This will be a good foundation to initiate similar capacity building for labour judiciary and inspectors. We need to link trade unions, government, and industry with academia to provide hands-on training for students such as through internships in industrial areas," he said.

Recognising the vital role universities play in shaping future legal professionals, this ILO-initiated partnership with Bangladeshi universities aims to support labour law lecturers and enable them to design and deliver a model curriculum grounded in ILS and enriched with real-world insights.

Sharing the next steps of the initiative Tuomo Poutiainen, country director, ILO Country Office in Bangladesh said, "This initiative underscores the ILO's commitment to promoting decent work, built on ILS. We are also pleased to share that several other universities in Bangladesh have expressed interest in joining this initiative, and we anticipate a second cohort signing soon."

The initiative is a part of the Advancing Decent Work in Bangladesh (ADWIB) project under the Team Europe Initiative (TEI) on Decent Work in Bangladesh funded by the European Union, Denmark, Sweden, and the Netherlands. A key component of the project aims at ensuring that Bangladesh's labour laws align more closely with ILS and that the application of these laws is enhanced.

Representing TEI,  Thijs Woudstra, deputy head of Mission of Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands in Bangladesh, remarked that ILS are a part of human rights and human dignity. Through this partnership, lecturers will be able to capacitate the new generation to create a more socially conscious future. 

Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmed, chairperson of Labour Reform Commission recognises that the seeds of change are being planted today, and we need to nurture them, so these seeds can become banyan trees of a just society. The lecturers will create an enabling environment so that they can reach their full potential and serve the workers and communities to protect their rights and dignity. 

Professor Dr. Mohammad Anwar Hossen, member of UGC, emphasised the need to bridge the gap between law and society in protecting marginalised workers. Labour should not be seen as a commodity, but as a human right—an idea the ILO upholds. This must be reflected in our education system and institutions; special focus should be provided to informal workers like rickshaw pullers and day labourers.

During the MOU signing ceremony, an engaging Fireside Chat on ILS was moderated by Chayanich Thamparipattra from the ILO, featuring Elena Gerasimova from the ILO, Dr. Taslima Monsoor, Advisor of AIUB, and Dr. Muhammad Ekramul Haque, Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Dhaka. 

The panel exchanged their experiences on teaching labour law and their aspiration for the future legal education in Bangladesh, integrating ILS and exposing students to practical experiences. 

The panellists opined that it is important that legal education must be relevant and responsive to the real world. They hoped to plant seeds to cultivate new generations of lawyers who understand international labour standards and labour rights. 

The formal signing ceremony took place between the ILO and representatives from partner universities including, American International University of Bangladesh, Atish Dipankar University of Science & Technology, Daffodil International University, Dhaka International University, Eastern University, East West University, Green University, Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University, Jahangirnagar University, Manarat International University, Premier University Chittagong, Presidency University and University of Dhaka. After the signing ceremony, an engaging introductory session on International Labour Standards was organised for faculty members, aimed at strengthening their capacity on international labour standards.