Bangladesh has drawn a six-year roadmap to improve labour standards and shared the same with the European Union (EU), to ensure continuance of zero-duty export facilities in EU.
This was mentioned in a recent media report, which underlined that consequent to being asked by the EU, Dhaka has drafted a roadmap to improve labour standards to enjoy zero-tariff trade privilege in the EU for 10 more years even as the EU’s existing EBA (Everything but Arms) initiative is set to expire in 2023 — which is the destination for more than a half of Bangladesh’s total exports — and following which, the bloc (EU) would review Bangladesh’s human rights situation and labour standards to include it in the next phase.
We have sent a roadmap to the EU for implementing its proposed conditions in a time-specific action plan, reportedly, maintained the State Minister for Labour and Employment Begum Monnujan Sufian, speaking to the media, adding that it will be executed on a priority basis in the country’s labour-intensive areas.
The Bangladesh Government also agrees to ratify the ILO protocols on minimum age and forced labour by June 2021 even as it, reportedly, sought time till 2025 to amend the labour law and rules, and adapt EPZ labour rules.
By 2026, the labour law will, reportedly, be amended by incorporating changes in the existing labour rules to comply with the ILO and EU labour standards.