Year
2025
Reform Domain
Labour
Sub Domain
Safe work, healthy working environment and workers' healthcare
Source of Reform Proposals
Labour Reform Commission Report
Reform Proposed
Reform Initiated
Legal and Policy Framework
Operationalisation
Action Implementation
Stage of Implementation
Legal and Policy Framework
Bangladesh ratified ILO Conventions 155, 187, and 190 in October 2025.
Operationalisation
Last Update: 22-Apr-26
On 10 April 2026, the Bangladesh Labour (Amendment) Act, 2026 was enacted, in which provisions related to occupational health and safety in line with ILO Conventions 155 and 187 have been incorporated, such as the right to refuse dangerous work, notification systems for accidents, dangerous occurrences and occupational diseases, the power of inspectors to intervene in cases of imminent danger, and provisions related to safety committees; at the same time, provisions related to ILO Convention 190, including definitions of gender-based violence and harassment, sexual harassment, violence and harassment, and provisions related to complaints committees, have also been incorporated.
Observation
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ILO Convention 155 (Occupational Safety and Health, 1981), 187 (OSH Promotional Framework, 2006) and 190 (Violence and Harassment, 2019) having been ratified, Bangladesh needs to strengthen the national Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) system, including accident prevention, monitoring, worker protection, and prevention of violence and harassment. A clear roadmap is required for managing implementation and assessing compliance.
As provided in the following amendment Bangladesh Labour (Amendment) Act, 2026:
(12B) “gender-based violence and harassment” means violence and harassment in the world of work that is directed at persons because of their gender, gender identity, gender expression, or based on discriminatory gender sensitivity, or that disproportionately affects persons of a particular gender, gender identity or gender expression, and includes sexual harassment;
(52A) “sexual harassment” means— (a) any of the following acts, namely: (1) unwelcome sexually suggestive conduct (directly or by implication) such as physical contact or attempts thereof; (2) using institutional or professional power to attempt to establish a sexual relationship with a person; (3) sexually abusive remarks; (4) unlawful requests for sexual favours; (5) showing pornography; (6) sexually suggestive comments or gestures; (7) teasing through indecent gestures, indecent language or remarks, or approaching or following a person with an indecent intent, or making jokes or mockery using sexually suggestive language; (8) writing or drawing any sexually suggestive and insulting content in letters, telephone, mobile, SMS, images, cartoons, benches, chairs-tables, notice boards, offices, or factory walls; (9) capturing still or video images for the purpose of blackmail or character assassination; (10) forcibly preventing a person from participating in institutional and training activities for refusing sexual advances or harassment; (11) proposing love and, upon rejection, threatening or exerting pressure; (12) establishing or attempting to establish a sexual relationship through intimidation, false assurance or deception; (13) ‘quid pro quo harassment’, that is, any physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct of a sexual nature and other gender-based conduct that undermines the dignity of women and men and is unwelcome, unreasonable and objectionable to the recipient, and where submission to or rejection of such conduct is used, explicitly or implicitly, as a basis for decisions affecting a person’s employment; (b) physical, verbal and non-verbal conduct of a sexual nature and conduct based on gender, gender identity, gender expression or discriminatory gender sensitivity that undermines the dignity of women and men and creates an intimidating, hostile, humiliating, offensive and degrading working environment;
(79) “violence and harassment” means all unacceptable behaviours, practices, customs, individual or collective oppressive acts or threats, or verbal and physical abuse in the world of work, which may occur once or repeatedly, and whose purpose, result or likely outcome is physical, psychological, sexual or economic harm, and includes gender-based violence and harassment.”
“61A. Work process.—(1) In any establishment, no work or production process shall be carried out, and no goods shall be stored, in a manner that may cause bodily injury. (2) No employer shall compel any worker to perform dangerous work if the worker informs a superior that the work process may pose a serious danger to life or health. (3) No employer shall take any disciplinary action or other adverse measure against a worker if the worker, in accordance with this Act and Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) policy, takes personal protective measures and removes himself or herself from a situation which he or she reasonably believes presents an imminent and serious danger. (4) No employer shall take any disciplinary or other adverse action against workers’ representatives who take appropriate action in accordance with existing laws and policies. (5) If work remains suspended due to occupational safety risks, the employer may, if he so wishes, assign the worker to other relatively safer work, provided that wages and other conditions remain unchanged.”
“(1) Where, in any establishment, an accident occurs on the way to or from the workplace resulting in death or bodily injury, or any sudden explosion, arson, fire, or ingress of water or smoke occurs, the employer, occupational health service, medical practitioner, and other concerned agencies shall, within two (2) working days after becoming aware of the incident, give written or digital notice in the prescribed manner to the concerned Inspector of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments and to the responsible officer of the relevant regional or divisional labour office of the Department of Labour:
Provided that, immediately after such incident, the factory authority shall inform the Government, Fire Service, Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments, police station, and, if necessary, the nearest hospital or public or private medical service institution by telephone, mobile phone, SMS or fax for the purpose of taking immediate necessary measures to minimize damage or control the situation.
Explanation.—In the case of accidents occurring on the way to or from the workplace, such notice shall be used only for statistical purposes. Accidents occurring on the way to or from the workplace are outside the scope of accidents mentioned in clause (19A) of section 2 and section 150 and are not related to any liability.”
“81. Notice of certain dangerous occurrences.—Where any dangerous occurrence specified by rules occurs in any establishment, whether or not it results in bodily injury, the employer shall, within three (3) days, notify the Inspector General of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments, the concerned local Inspector, and the Director General of the Department of Labour or the responsible officer of the relevant regional or divisional labour office thereof.”
“(1) If any worker in any establishment is affected by any disease specified in the Second Schedule, the employer or the concerned worker or any person nominated by him, the registered medical practitioner, occupational health service provider, and other concerned agencies shall notify the Inspector by written notice in the prescribed manner and shall record it in the register within two (2) working days in the prescribed manner. (2) If any registered medical practitioner, occupational health service provider, or other concerned agency, while treating a current or former worker of an establishment, finds or suspects that the worker is suffering from any disease specified in the Second Schedule, the said practitioner shall immediately report in writing to the Inspector General the following information, namely: (a) the name of the patient and postal address; (b) the name of the disease from which the patient is suffering or is suspected to be suffering; (c) the name and address of the establishment where the patient is currently working or last worked.”
“(3) If the Inspector is of the opinion that there exists an imminent danger to the life, health or safety of any person employed in an establishment, he shall inform the concerned employer in writing of the reasons for such opinion, and at the same time, the Inspector may, by written order, prohibit the use or operation of any part of the establishment, plant, layout or work process and restrain any person from working in that part, and such prohibition shall remain in force until the Inspector is satisfied that the danger has been completely removed: Provided that this order shall not apply to any person engaged in removing such danger.”
“(5) The Inspector shall immediately submit a report regarding every order issued under sub-sections (1) and (3) to all relevant departments of the Government and shall inform the concerned employer about the submission of such report.”
“90A. Formation of Safety Committee.—(1) In every establishment where fifty or more workers are employed, a Safety Committee shall be formed and made functional in the manner prescribed by rules. (2) The Safety Committee shall inform the employer or his representatives about identified risks, accidents, dangerous occurrences and diseases.”
“332. Duties of all persons against violence and harassment in the world of work and workplace.—(1) The duties of the owner, employer and authority shall be as follows, namely: (a) the owner, employer and authority shall ensure that the workplace environment is not hostile in order to prevent violence and harassment; (b) the prohibitions and penalties relating to sexual harassment and violence shall be widely publicised and disseminated; (c) effective measures shall be taken to prevent all forms of sexual harassment in the workplace; (d) a workplace policy shall be adopted and implemented against violence and harassment; (e) necessary measures shall be taken by considering violence and harassment and related psychosocial risks within the occupational safety and health management system; (f) risks of violence and harassment shall be identified, assessed, and measures shall be taken for their prevention and control; (g) necessary information and training shall be provided to workers regarding identified risks and hazards, preventive and protective measures, and their rights and responsibilities; (h) information regarding relevant reports and complaint management procedures shall be made available on the workplace website; (i) appropriate measures shall be taken to file cases under the prevailing laws of the country against incidents of sexual harassment occurring in the establishment. (2) Where any woman is employed in any establishment, regardless of her position, no co-worker or any other person of that establishment shall behave towards her in a manner that is obscene or indecent, or that is contrary to her modesty and dignity.”
“332A. Complaints Committee for resolution of discrimination, violence and harassment.—(1) Every employer shall constitute a complaints committee for investigating complaints of discrimination, violence and harassment in the relevant context, and such committee shall consist of five (5) members, where the majority shall be women representatives from within the establishment and the chairperson shall be a woman, and two members shall be taken from organisations working on gender and sexual abuse. (2) The committee shall receive, investigate and process each complaint or relevant report and shall follow a zero tolerance policy in cases of discrimination, violence and harassment. (3) The committee shall carry out its functions while maintaining confidentiality and respecting human dignity and shall not create any obstruction in receiving, investigating or managing complaints or reports. (4) Upon receipt of a written complaint, the complaints committee shall take necessary action in the manner prescribed by rules.”