WORKERS continuing to die or face brutality while trying to earn a living is symptomatic of a systemic failure to properly uphold labour rights. In the first half of 2025, at least 422 workers died in 373 workplace-related incidents, as the Safety and Rights Society says. Traffic accidents caused 267 of the death, with the transport sector alone accounting for 207 fatalities. Many of the causes of the death, spanning from lightning strikes to hazardous machinery, are preventable. The figures point to disregard for safety protocols, risk awareness and enforcement mechanisms. The crisis extends beyond accidental death: the recent torture and killing of 19-year-old mechanic at work in Gazipur reflects an entrenched culture of violence, impunity and employer control unchecked by the law. The murder, filmed and circulated widely, has ignited protests, with hundreds blocking roads demanding justice. The incident, which cannot be termed isolated, highlights how vulnerable low-wage workers remain to physical abuse, humiliation and even death at work. Such an abuse happening at work shows how far the nation is from meeting its obligations to protect workers.
The 2024 Global Rights Index of the International Trade Union Confederation, released on June 2, highlights this failure. Bangladesh has once again been ranked among the 10 worst countries for workers, with a score of 5, indicating no guarantee of rights. This is the ninth consecutive year Bangladesh has remained in the index鈥檚 lowest category. Worker right to unionise, collectively bargain, or even assemble remains either restricted or entirely denied, especially in export processing zones or in factories where employer interference and government complicity are a routine. Reports on suicide linked to denial of sick leave, withheld wages, arbitrary dismissal and public humiliation have surfaced repeatedly. Informal workers, meanwhile, remain beyond the ambit of legal protection. The labour law鈥檚 promise of five-yearly minimum wage reviews remains unfulfilled without worker agitation and the boards set up for reviews rarely ensure fair representation. A recent report submitted by the labour reforms commission has called for sweeping legal changes, including protection for informal and household services workers and the formation of a national minimum wage board. They are not new demands but overdue necessities. If the government is to truly honour the democratic spirit of the July-August uprising, it should finally begin to protect the workers who drive the wheel of the economy.
The authorities should act urgently to implement the commission鈥檚 recommendations, ensure legal protection across sectors, guarantee living wages and end the impunity that abusive employers enjoy.
