Chief Adviser Professor Yunus on Wednesday directed the Labour and Employment Ministry to reform the country’s labour law to align with international standards, aiming to improve the living conditions of millions of workers across various sectors.
The directive was given during a meeting with ministry officials ahead of the 353rd session of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), scheduled to take place in Geneva from 10 to 20 March.
Labour and Employment Ministry Adviser M Sakhawat Hossain will lead Bangladesh’s delegation at the session.
Emphasizing the need for proactive measures, the chief adviser stated, “We must take positive steps and ensure progress. We are not here to make excuses.”
He also instructed officials to implement insurance coverage and healthcare benefits for workers in the country’s labour sector.
Special Envoy to the chief adviser, Lutfey Siddiqi, who participated in the meeting virtually and will be part of Bangladesh’s delegation at the ILO session, highlighted the progress made in the sector. “There have been significant improvements, but experts believe there is still more to be done,” he noted.
The meeting was attended by Labour and Employment Ministry Adviser M Sakhawat Hossain, Secretary AHM Shafiquzzaman, Law and Justice Division Secretary Sheikh Abu Taher, and ILO Country Representative Tuomo Poutiainen. Bangladesh’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative in Geneva, Tareq Md Ariful Islam, also joined the discussion virtually.
