The government has decided to introduce an insurance scheme for the construction workers.
Labour and Employment Minister Rajiuddin Ahmed Raju is scheduled to formally inaugurate the scheme on Monday next, said a senior official.
“We are introducing the insurance scheme as the construction workers do not get any kind of support from the government,” Raju told Dhaka Tribune over phone on Thursday.
He said a worker would get Tk200,000 if he or she is seriously injured while working. If the worker is died, the victim’s family will get the same amount of money, he added.
Officials at the labour ministry said insurance scheme would be introduced under the Workers’ Welfare Foundation Board, which was constituted under the labour and employment ministry.
An executive committee, headed by the labour secretary, would implement the insurance scheme. Representatives from the workers, owners of the construction company, Life Insurance Corporation and Bangladesh Institution of Labour Studies (BILLS) would be included in the committee.
Officials at the labour ministry said the insurance scheme would be for a period of five years.
They said a worker has to deposit Tk450 while the labour ministry would give 850 annually as premium. After the end of the period, a worker will get back certain amount of his or her premium.
There is no accurate figure of the construction workers, but some estimates suggest it would be 6m.
“We are surveying to know the number of construction workers,” said the minister.
