Three export-oriented trade bodies demand revision of Labour Ordinance
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Three major export-oriented organisations - Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) and Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) — have demanded the withdrawal of the amended Labour Ordinance, saying several important provisions have been added beyond what was agreed in the tripartite consultative committee (TCC) (government, employers, and labour leaders ) meeting.
They warned that these new changes would harm the industry, if they do not bring further changes.
BTMA made the statement in a press release on Tuesday afternoon after an emergency meeting in the capital.
In the meeting, BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan, BKMEA President Mohammad Hatem and BTMA President Shawkat Aziz Russell discussed various challenges facing the textile and apparel sectors, according to the release.
The leaders of all three export-oriented bodies attended the meeting, where they reviewed the existing crisis in the country’s apparel sector in detail.
Expressing deep concern over the condition of local spinning mills, the meeting decided to request an urgent discussion with the relevant ministries and called for immediate government measures to protect the sector.
The leaders warned that without prompt government intervention, the country’s textile, spinning and garments sectors could shut down at any time.
A shutdown, they noted, would directly affect the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of workers and create severe pressure on banks and financial institutions.
It would also make the country’s key textile and apparel sector heavily dependent on imports—an alarming prospect for the industry.
The press release further stated that the Labour (Amendment) Ordinance 2025 includes several critical provisions that were not part of the decisions adopted at the TCC joint meeting.
The three organisations expressed dissatisfaction over this deviation.
They expressed disappointment on the amended ordinance and urged the government to revise it in line with the decisions agreed at the TCC joint meeting.