Bangladesh yesterday ratified three conventions of the International Labour Organisation to improve worker safety, health, and protection against workplace violence and harassment.
Brigadier General (retd) Sakhawat Hussain, Labour and Employment as well as Shipping Adviser, signed the instruments of ratification on behalf of the government in the presence of Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus at the State Guest House Jamuna.
With this, Bangladesh becomes the only country in South Asia to have ratified all 10 fundamental ILO conventions.
The three ratified conventions are: Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 1981 (No. 155); Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 2006 (No. 187); and Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (No. 190). Of these, Conventions 187 and 155 were declared fundamental conventions by the ILO in 2022.
"This day will remain a memorable one in the history of realising the rights of working people in Bangladesh," a press release from the Chief Adviser's Press Wing quoted Yunus as saying at the signing ceremony.
Recalling the 2013 Rana Plaza disaster and the inaction of the then-government, the chief adviser said he was committed to ratifying the convention.
"Since I took charge as the chief adviser, labour rights have been my first priority. I held meetings and kept saying everywhere that this must be done. Signing this will benefit all of us," he said.
Expressing gratitude to all involved in the process for their tireless efforts, he added that signing the papers is not the end, but rather the beginning of the real work.
"We must keep our commitments. What the convention says, what rights it talks about, must be conveyed to everyone. Everyone must be made aware."
Speaking on the occasion, Sakhawat said, "Today is a significant day for the interim government. It was a major challenge for us. Everyone worked very hard to this end."
ILO Country Director Max Tunon congratulated the interim government for ratifying the conventions. He said the ILO is committed to cooperating with the Bangladesh government, workers, and law enforcers to ensure the implementation of the conventions.
Tunon also pledged continued support for implementing recommendations from the Labour Law Reform Commission. He suggested adopting a labour charter based on the consensus of the political parties that will contest the upcoming elections.
Chief Adviser's Special Envoy on International Affairs Lutfey Siddiqi, Secretary of the Chief Adviser's Office (CAO) Md Mahmudul Hossain Khan, Secretary of the Labour and Employment Ministry Sanwar Jahan Bhuiyan, and other senior officials were present at the ratification ceremony.