The interim government is committed to implementing sustainable labour reforms through national consensus and stakeholder participation, Labour and Employment Adviser Dr M Sakhawat Hussain has said.
Speaking at the 353rd Governing Body Session of the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Geneva on Monday, Sakhawat highlighted the government's efforts to ensure inclusive labour reforms, according to a message received on Tuesday.
Addressing ongoing allegations against Bangladesh at the ILO, the adviser presented a progress report on labour sector advancements—the second such discussion under the current administration since the last report in November.
He said that the 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 has been reached on several key amendments to labour law, including the extension 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, the adviser assured the meeting that these will be resolved through continued tripartite negotiations.
He added that the government will soon issue an ordinance to finalize the amendments.
Additionally, he said discussions with stakeholders are ongoing regarding amendments to the EPZ labour law to align it with the revised Bangladesh labour law.
Necessary measures will be taken following a comparative analysis of both laws, he added.
Sakhawat also informed the session that 50% of factory and establishment inspections are now conducted unannounced under the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). He added that vacant labour inspector positions will 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.
Notably, 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.
Significantly, no member of the ILO governing body called for an investigation into Bangladesh during this session.
Based on Bangladesh’s report and the 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 António Guterres as an endorsement of Bangladesh’s commitment to labour rights.
He also invited the ILO’s tripartite team and other delegations to visit Bangladesh and observe the government’s ongoing labour sector reforms firsthand.
In his concluding remarks, the adviser urged the international community to support the swift resolution of the ongoing case against Bangladesh.