ILO urges Bangladesh to implement labour reforms for Article 26 complaint resolution

International Labour Organization (ILO) stressed the need for implementing the labour reform roadmap and the national action plan to effectively resolve the Article 26 complaint lodged against Bangladesh for its non-observance of three core conventions.

Bangladesh will reach a major milestone in its development journey as it graduates from the least developed country status in 2026, ILO Bangladesh country director Tuomo Poutiainen said during the opening session of a national dialogue held on Sunday.

While this is a testament to Bangladesh's progress, it also presents new challenges, including the potential loss of trade privileges and the need for stricter compliance with global market competitiveness standards, he said.

“The implementation of the labour reform roadmaps and the national action plan is crucial to address these challenges and effectively also resolve the Article 26 complaint that is active in the ILO system,” he said.

The dialogue on ‘Promoting Decent Work Agenda to Advance Social Justice’ jointly organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoLE), and the ILO at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka city.

Mr Poutiainen also pressed for establishing priorities centring on BLA (Bangladesh Labour Act) amendments in line with international labour standards and continuously building the quality institutions of labour inspection, dispute resolution, and labour courts.

“All these are to ensure sustainable and equitable progress, participation and meaningful engagement by social partners in these processes,” he noted.

State Minister for Labour Nazrul Islam Chowdhury attended the event as the chief guest, while Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen and Labour Secretary Mahbub Hossain also spoke there.

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