Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmed, Executive Director of the Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies, underscored the critical challenges surrounding labour rights in Bangladesh.
He highlighted the persistent lack of enforcement of existing labour laws, resulting in many workers being denied their legal entitlements.
Sultan Uddin also points out that a power imbalance in society, coupled with inadequate legal coverage in the informal sector, exacerbated these issues.
He noted that despite being deprived of their lawful rights, many workers are reluctant to seek recourse in court due to the delays in legal proceedings.
Labour rights experts echoed these sentiments, noting that despite frequent amendments to the Labour Act, there has been a significant lack of initiatives to universalize the laws and extend comprehensive legal protections to all workers.
According to Sultan Uddin, meaningful improvements to the Labour Act that benefit workers are unlikely to materialize solely through government and factory owner initiatives; instead, workers must unite to assert and secure their rights.
He stressed that trade union rights remain largely ignored in the country, constituting a gross violation of existing labour laws.
Addressing the social and economic dimensions of the issue, Ahmed emphasised that the well-being of workers is both a social and economic concern.
He urged the government to address the issue, particularly in light of the growing income inequalities in the country.
Sultan Uddin further emphasized that the government must safeguard workers’ interests to achieve goals such as balanced economic development, promoting women’s education, and eradicating child marriage.
He underscored the interconnectedness of workers’ rights with Bangladesh’s objectives of fostering non-discrimination and advancing socio-economic progress.