'State failure' in industrial safety: Workers' forum demands justice with 12-point reforms
According to a survey presented by the Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies, some 131 workers have been killed and 578 injured in 152 factory fires across the country between 2018 and June 2025
The Workers' Safety Forum, an alliance of labour and rights groups, has demanded immediate government action on industrial safety, calling for comprehensive investigation and justice for all accidents, and rejecting the nation's history of "state failure" in protecting workers.
At a press conference held at the National Press Club today (23 October), the forum outlined a set of 12 policy recommendations, urging the government to implement the suggestions of the Labour Reform Commission and overhaul safety laws.
In a written statement read out by Sekender Ali Mina, acting member secretary of Safety and Rights Society (SRS), the forum highlighted the staggering toll of industrial negligence.
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According to a survey presented by the Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS), some 131 workers have been killed and 578 injured in 152 factory fires across the country between 2018 and June 2025.
This includes 13 major chemical explosions in the last three and a half years alone.
Ensuring a safe working environment for workers is urgent. Effective inspection, safety marshals on the floor, training, and a fund for the affected are essential
The forum branded high-profile disasters like Nimtoli (2010), Tazreen Fashion (2012), Tampaco Foils (2016), Churihatta (2019), Hashem Foods (2021), and Sitakunda (2022) as "each an example of state failure".
It stressed that stricter control over chemical and flammable substances, enhanced fire safety inspections, increased worker training, and public disclosure of accident investigation reports are now urgent necessities.
The 12-point recommendations demand a shift to a "zero-tolerance" policy and the strict enforcement of national and international health and safety laws.
Key demands include: ensuring compensation, medical treatment, and rehabilitation for injured and deceased workers, with a compensation structure based on ILO Convention 121; amending the Labour Act to include stronger safety and penalty provisions; updating the Explosives, Boiler, and Environment Acts to meet modern standards; and establishing a coordinated monitoring mechanism among relevant ministries and departments with the inclusion of trade unions and civil society.
The forum also called for the public disclosure of all accident investigation reports, the implementation of their recommendations, and ensuring fast-track trials and exemplary punishment for those responsible.
They stressed the importance of forming safety committees at the factory and community levels, conducting regular fire drills, and activating the National Industrial Health and Safety Council.
Farah Kabir, country director of ActionAid, underscored the necessity of a safe work environment. "Ensuring a safe working environment for workers is urgent. Effective inspection, safety marshals on the floor, training, and a fund for the affected are essential," she said.
She stressed that without political and governmental commitment and rigorous enforcement of laws, worker safety cannot be guaranteed.
Syed Sultan Uddin Mahmud, executive director of BILS, added, "The recent accidents are a matter of deep concern regarding our safety system. Protecting workers' lives and ensuring a safe work environment is now the demand of the time."
He said that nearly 90% of Bangladesh's workers remain outside the protection of the Labour Act, leaving millions vulnerable to unsafe workplaces, exploitation, and fatal accidents.
"When workplace safety is neglected, workers become victims of injury, disability, or death — leaving families to struggle with poverty, child marriage, and child labour. These are not just social problems; they weaken our entire economy."
The forum's leaders called for safety reforms to be extended beyond the Ready-Made Garment (RMG) sector to all industries, urging joint action by the state, employers, and civil society to make safety a shared national priority.
