Experts and sector people on Monday suggested that the informal labour sector should be brought under stronger governmental regulations.
They also said that the occupational safety and health were not a matter of negotiation or charity, rather these were human rights.
They were speaking at the 鈥極SH Conference 2025鈥� organised by the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments, marking the National Occupational Safety and Health Day, in the capital Dhaka on the day.
At the event, labour adviser M Sakhawat Hossain said all the informal sectors must be brought under formal regulations.
In this regard, he referred the construction sectors and warned them if they do not come under labour ministry approval, they would not get any government contracts.
Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmed, head of the Labour Reform Commission, said that inequalities concerning the livelihoods were the most severe today.
鈥極ccupational safety is a fundamental human right 鈥� not a matter of negotiation. Without ensuring this right, industrial sustainability is impossible,鈥� he added.
He also said that while accidents in the formal sector had decreased, incidents in the informal sector were rising, which was concerning.
Md Imrul Mohsin, inspector general of the DIFE, said owners, workers, and the government often treat each other as adversaries.
This mindset must change, as it allows opportunists to exploit the situation, he said.
A panel discussion on the ratification of occupational health and safety conventions was also held, moderated by Tuomo Poutiainen, ILO country director for Bangladesh.
Speaking during the discussion, Taslima Akhter, president of the Bangladesh Garment Sramik Samhati and a member of the Labour Reform
Commission, said that occupational health and safety were not a matter of charity 鈥� these are basic human rights.
鈥榃hile there are strict laws and clear recommendations, we want to ensure they are implemented,鈥� she added.
Faruque Ahmed, secretary general of the Bangladesh Employers鈥� Federation, emphasised the need for implementing occupational safety standards in the informal sector, stressing the importance of a time-bound action plan rather than endless discussions.
Rupali Chowdhury, trustee of the Bangladesh Business and Disability Network, pointed out that although laws existed, their implementation was lacking due to a lack of awareness about the rules and their enforcement.
Chayana Rahman, women鈥檚 secretary of the IndustriALL Bangladesh Council, noted that women in the readymade garment sector faced various forms of harassment both at work and outside, impacting their mental well-being.
Tuomo Poutiainen, International Labour Organisation country director for Bangladesh, Bangladesh had made advancement in promoting a culture of OSH in workplaces.
To create a culture of OSH, the ILO鈥檚 fundamental conventions, including Convention No 155 on occupational safety and health and Convention No 187 on the promotional framework, provide a robust framework to support these ongoing efforts.
Labour adviser M Shakhawat Hossain also said that effective tripartite efforts and teamwork of all concerned was a must during any crises in the industrial sector of the country.
He also said that during the crisis period, no one could be found to take responsibility, leaving key officials adrift without direction.
He said that all sectors concerned must join hands with the labour ministry. He also said that although he had been at the office for seven months, the crises they had encountered did not emerge overnight.
Labour secretary AHM Safiquzzaman said that they expected that people would go to work safely, but yet workplaces had turned into death traps.
鈥楾he Labour Reform Commission has made a number of recommendations, and we are committed to working on every one of them. A time-bound action plan has been proposed for implementation,鈥� he added.
During the event, Md Matiur Rahman, joint inspector general of DIFE, presented a keynote paper.
Hasnat M Alamgir, director of the Institute of Research and Training at Southeast University, also presented a paper at the conference.