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government in 2021 formulated a five-year roadmap on labour sector reforms and submitted it to the ILO Governing Body. Over the past five years, progress under this roadmap has been discussed in eight ILO Governing Body sessions.

Yesterday, the current government presented its ninth progress report.

Of the ILO’s 56-member Governing Body, 19 countries, along with 28 countries from two regional groups and representatives of employers, praised the new government’s strong commitment to legal and administrative reforms in the labour sector.

They also called for a swift resolution of the 2019 case.

Among the supporting entities, 14 countries, the 22-member Arab Group, the six-member Gulf Group, and the employers’ representatives strongly demanded the withdrawal of the case.

It was unanimously decided that the next discussion on the case will be held in March next year.

Forty-seven countries at the 356th ILO Governing Body session also congratulated Bangladesh and expressed full support for its democratically elected government.

Minister for Labour and Employment and Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Ariful Haque Chowdhury, MP; and the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Labour, Employment, and Education Mahdi Amin represented Bangladesh in the discussion.

Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to Geneva, Ambassador Nahida Sobhan, and Labour Secretary Abdur Rahman Tarafdar were also present.

Amin highlighted the importance of the ILO and noted the prime minister’s personal commitment to ensuring labour rights, worker protection, and social justice.

“At the core of this mandate is the election manifesto, which places special emphasis on civil rights -- including human rights, the rule of law, and freedom of expression -- as well as on creating extensive and diversified employment opportunities, ensuring quality education, and enhancing skills and competencies.”

He reiterated the government’s strong commitment to transparency and accountability, adding that these priorities are aligned with the ILO’s Decent Work Agenda.

He also informed the session that a parliamentary special committee has provided recommendations to transform the Bangladesh Labour (Amendment) Ordinance 2025 into law.

The government will make strong efforts to expedite the process, he assured.

He further noted that the government holds a positive stance on the amendments formulated through tripartite consultations and expressed optimism that these measures would enable inclusive, sustainable, and employment-driven development.