Bangladesh committed to labour reforms thru national consensus: Adviser Sakhawat tells ILO

The interim government, under the leadership of Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, is committed to implementing sustainable labour reforms through national consensus and stakeholder participation, Labour and Employment Adviser M Sakhawat Hossain has said.

Speaking at the 353rd Governing Body Session of the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Geneva yesterday (17 March), he highlighted the government's efforts in ensuring inclusive labour reforms, according to a message received today (18 March). 

Chief Adviser's Special Envoy for International Affairs Professor Lutfe Siddiqui was present at the session.

In response to ongoing allegations against Bangladesh at the ILO, the adviser presented a progress report on labour sector advancements, marking the second such discussion under the current administration since the last report in November.

Sakhawat stated that the Bangladesh interim government has dismissed most politically motivated cases against workers and trade union leaders while ensuring democratic representation of both workers and employers in tripartite committees.

The adviser noted that a tripartite consensus was reached on several key amendments to the Labour Law, including extend of trade union rights to management, supervisory, and administrative positions.

While some issues such as the minimum percentage of workers required for union registration remain under discussion, he said.

Sakhawat assured that these would be resolved through continued tripartite negotiations.

He added that the government would soon issue an ordinance to finalize the amendments.

The adviser said that the government is also in discussions with stakeholders regarding amendments to the EPZ Labor Law to align it with the revised Bangladesh Labor Law. 

Necessary measures will be taken following a comparative analysis of both laws, he added. 

Sakhawat also informed that 50% of factory and establishment inspections are currently conducted unannounced under the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and assured that vacant labour inspector positions would be filled promptly.

During the discussions, representatives from developing countries in Asia and Africa commended Bangladesh's labour reforms and called for the swift closure of the complaint process against the country.

Significantly, for the first time in five years of ongoing review, the Arab Group of member states expressed unanimous support for Bangladesh, setting a unique precedent in ILO proceedings. 

Additionally, 18 other countries independently praised Bangladesh's labour reforms, marking the highest level of international support received so far.

Representatives from several development partner countries welcomed the government's initiatives and assured continued cooperation in implementing these reforms. 

Notably, no member of the ILO Governing Body called for an investigation against Bangladesh during this session.

Based on Bangladesh's report and discussions at the session, a decision was made to postpone the next hearing on the ongoing complaint from November 2025 to March 2026 as a constructive step towards cooperation.

Sakhawat expressed appreciation for the international community's continued support and cited the ongoing goodwill visit of UN Secretary-General Ant¢nio Guterres as an endorsement of Bangladesh's commitment to labour rights.

He also invited ILO's tripartite team and other delegations to visit Bangladesh and observe the government's ongoing labour sector reforms firsthand.

In his concluding remarks, Sakhawat urged the international community to support the swift resolution of the ongoing case against Bangladesh.