STAR BUSINESS REPORT

The Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS) has urged the government to withdraw the proposed mandatory Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) requirement for opening bank accounts, saying it would pose an unnecessary barrier for millions of low-income workers.

The labour rights organisation made the recommendation at a press briefing on workers’ fair share in the national budget for FY27, held at the National Press Club in Dhaka on Friday, according to a press release.

BILS Vice-Chairman Anwar Hossain chaired the briefing, Executive Director Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmmed delivered the opening remarks, and Deputy Director of Research Monirul Islam presented the budget review and recommendations.

The organisation said the proposed budget includes higher allocations for social protection, healthcare and employment but falls short of addressing several key concerns affecting the country’s labour force.

According to BILS, the proposal in the Finance Bill 2026 to make a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) mandatory for opening bank accounts places an unnecessary burden on workers in the informal sector, many of whom have little or no taxable income but need access to formal banking services to receive wages, save money and access financial products.

The organisation also criticised the budget preparation process, saying representatives of the country’s roughly 7.5 crore workers were not adequately consulted despite being among the largest stakeholders in the economy.

To make the budget more inclusive, BILS placed a 15-point proposal before the government.

Besides withdrawing the TIN requirement for workers opening bank accounts, it called for establishing an institutional framework for democratic practices in budget formulation and ensuring the inclusion of workers’ representatives in the process.

Strengthening the Ministry of Labour and Employment through increased budgetary allocations was another key proposal.

The organisation also urged the creation of a comprehensive digital database of workers linked to the National Identity Card system and the introduction of a “Workers’ Card” for unemployed and vulnerable workers.

Also among the recommendations were implementing long-term employment generation plans, aligning skills development programmes with labour market demand, bringing all workers under the universal pension scheme and expanding social protection coverage for low-income workers.

BILS further urged the government to establish fair-price ration shops, specialised healthcare centres and dormitories for female workers in industrial areas, while adopting a concrete plan to modernise and reopen closed state-owned and private industrial enterprises.

Leaders of the labour rights body said the national budget would not be truly inclusive unless it helped improve the living standards of millions of working people. They called on lawmakers and relevant ministries to consider their proposals before the budget is finalised.

Leaders of BILS, national trade union bodies, as well as representatives of labour rights organisations, researchers and media representatives were present at the event.