On the sidelines of the International Labour Conference at ILO Headquarters, Brigadier General (Retd) Dr. M Sakhawat Hossain, Bangladesh’s Labour and Employment Adviser, met bilaterally with Keith E. Sonderling, Deputy Secretary of the US Department of Labour. The topics of discussion included enhancing labour sector collaboration, defending workers’ rights, and enhancing working conditions throughout Bangladesh.
The Government’s commitment to provide fair salaries, acceptable working conditions, workplace compensation, and maternity leave for all workers was stressed by Dr. Sakhawat during the meeting. He pointed out that just 15% of Bangladesh’s 75 million workers are employed in the official sector. He described current labour changes, such as improved labour inspection systems, trade union registration ease, and labour legislation modifications.
The Labour Adviser also underscored measures to prevent large construction companies from participating in government procurement unless they deposit dividend money into a central fund. He emphasised Bangladesh’s efforts to promote a safe, sustainable, and fair working environment in sectors such as ready-made garments, ship-breaking, and construction.
Additionally, Dr. Sakhawat highlighted the country’s youthful population and the growth of Bangladesh’s ICT sector, creating significant employment opportunities through online jobs and freelancing. The US Deputy Secretary praised Bangladesh’s progress in labour rights and expressed interest in providing technical assistance to support further development.
The conference was attended by representatives from Bangladesh’s Ministry of Labour and Employment, including Permanent Representative to Geneva Tareq Md. Ariful Islam, BEPZA Chairman Major General Abul Kalam Mohammad Ziaur Rahman, and Secretary AHM Shafiquzzaman.
