News Flash
DHAKA, Nov 21, 2025 (BSS) - Labour and Employment Adviser Brigadier General (Retd) Dr M Sakhawat Hossain has called on ILO Director-General Gilbert F Houngbo and sought support from the UN agency for the development of Bangladesh's labour sector.
The bilateral meeting took place yesterday, as the adviser is participating in the 355th Session of the ILO Governing Body in Geneva, Switzerland, an official release said here today.
The adviser at the meeting informed the ILO Director-General that under the amended labour law, the minimum number of workers required to register a trade union has been reduced from 20 per cent to 20 workers.
To facilitate trade union registration, the law also simplifies required information, relaxes conditions for providing personal data, prohibits blacklisting, and introduces other provisions.
He noted that these amendments were enacted following consultations, advice, and consensus with workers, employers, and other government stakeholders within less than a year, in compliance with proper legal procedures.
In an event organised according to ILO protocol, the adviser submitted Bangladesh's instruments of ratification for ILO Conventions Nos. 155, 187 and 190. The instruments were signed by Director-General Gilbert Houngbo on behalf of ILO and by the Labour Adviser on behalf of the Government of Bangladesh.
The ILO Director-General congratulated the Labour Adviser on the timely amendment of labour law, ratification of the three key conventions, and implementation of several reforms in the labour sector. He noted that ILO member states and tripartite partners hold a positive view of these reforms undertaken during the current government's tenure.
In the evening (November 20), the adviser hosted an exchange meeting at the Governing Body with ambassadors and representatives from countries in the Asia-Pacific region. In his welcome remarks, he highlighted various achievements in labour sector reforms under the current government and emphasised the need to strengthen regional cooperation in the Asia-Pacific.
The adviser also expressed deep concern over youth unemployment in Palestine due to a lack of education and training opportunities, urging prioritisation of employment creation through rehabilitation programmes.
He called on the international community to provide funds and support for rebuilding war-torn Palestine, including social security, worker protection, and business-friendly initiatives.
The meeting was attended by Dr Md Sanwar Jahan Bhuiyan, Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, and Nahida Sobhan, Bangladesh's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to Switzerland.
