ILO chief praises Bangladesh’s labour reforms as ‘historic’ shift from past inertia
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The head of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has praised Bangladesh for undertaking what he described as a wide-ranging and potentially transformative programme of labour reforms, signalling growing international confidence in the country’s efforts to strengthen workers’ rights, said a spokesman of the CA Office on Thursday.
In a letter dated 17 December 2025, ILO director-general Gilbert F. Houngbo commended the Bangladeshi government for what he called a “clear outline” of recent reforms, conveyed earlier to the organisation by the chief adviser’s special envoy, Lutfey Siddiqi.
“I would like to commend the efforts of the government of Bangladesh in undertaking a wide range of labour reforms,” Houngbo wrote, singling out the Bangladesh Labour (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025, as a particularly significant step forward.
The ILO’s appreciation follows a detailed update sent on 21 November by Siddiqi, outlining measures taken to advance workers’ rights, including freedom of association, collective bargaining, social dialogue and improved working conditions. In that communication, Siddiqi said the reform drive had been launched on the “clear instructions” of chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, with an explicit aim of breaking from what he described as years of “foot-dragging”.
Houngbo also highlighted Bangladesh’s recent ratification of additional international conventions on occupational safety and health, as well as violence and harassment at work, calling the move “another historical milestone”. The instruments of ratification were formally deposited in Geneva on 20 November by the labour adviser, Brigadier General (retd) Dr M Sakhawat Hussain.
Taken together, Siddiqi said, the reforms and treaty commitments would “irreversibly take the country’s labour standards to a much higher plane”, stressing that the significance lay not only in the outcomes but also in the institutional processes being established.
In his response, Houngbo welcomed Bangladesh’s decision to place trust in the ILO to support the reform process, expressing gratitude for the opportunity to work with the government, workers’ representatives and employers’ organisations through technical assistance.
The endorsement comes as Bangladesh seeks to reset its international image on labour rights, long a sensitive issue for the country’s export-driven economy, particularly in the garment sector. Observers say sustained implementation will be key to translating the reforms into lasting change on the factory floor and beyond.