THIS is deplorable that the authorities still tend to see the informal economy as a statistical footnote, even though the sector contributes almost half of the gross domestic product and employs about 85 per cent of the workforce. According to the Labour Force Survey 2024, more than 84 per cent of the country鈥檚 69 million-strong workforce remain trapped outside the protections of formal law, without secure contracts, social insurance or wage guarantees. This is not a marginal issue but the condition of the overwhelming majority of working people, particularly women, whose contribution underpins the national economy. As the government prepares to amend the Bangladesh Labour Act, 2006, the recognition of informal sector workers should, therefore, be treated as a matter of urgent reform. The definition of 鈥榠nformality鈥� too often disguises the reality of hard labour. Agricultural workers, street vendors, rickshaw drivers, craftswomen, small traders and food sellers sustain families and fuel growth, yet they are denied their rights. To continue denying these millions official recognition is to perpetuate a hierarchy of labour that undermines dignity, fairness and social stability.
The call from experts and labour leaders for a national wage board, a universal minimum wage and the creation of a digital database of workers is, therefore, timely. At present, minimum wages apply across 42 formal sectors only, leaving the vast majority of workers at the mercy of arbitrary pay. A national wage standard, applicable to all regardless of occupation, would represent a basic guarantee of equity. Equally, a comprehensive digital database could serve as the foundation for worker identification, social protection, workplace accident insurance and unemployment support. Without such infrastructure, government promises of inclusion remain rhetorical. Worker rights in the formal sector are also routinely violated, with little occupational safety. It is no wonder that the Global Rights Index, conducted and published by the International Trade Union Confederation, has ranked Bangladesh among the 10 worst countries for workers for nine consecutive years since 2017. The stakes are higher than ever. With Bangladesh set to graduate from least developed country status in 2026, alignment with international labour standards is no longer optional but essential. Trading partners and development partners will judge the credibility of reform not by words but by whether informal workers are given real rights. The International Labour Organisation鈥檚 roadmap and the recommendations of the Labour Reform Commission provide a clear path forward; the political will to implement them is what now matters.
The government must realise that recognising the informal sector, setting a national wage and building a worker database will mark a decisive step towards a fairer, more resilient economy. To delay further would be to deny millions of workers the basic rights that should be theirs by virtue of labour alone.
