Funded by: German Government

Lead by: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH

Duration: June 26, 2023 to May 15, 2023

Background: The projects serves to take forward the work that BBDN has done in collaboration with GIZ through 2 previous projects, that included the development of a national Return to Work (RTW) and Rehabilitation Strategy for workers that attain injuries or disabilities in the workplace, which was validated by the Secretary, Ministry of Labour & Employment. Initiatives were also undertaken to amend the Bangladesh Labour Act for facilitating RTW through the tripartite consultative council, amongst other initiatives related to RTW and occupational diseases. In the broader context, while international pressure led to some improvements in terms of occupational health and safety in the RMG sector, driven by the Accord agreement and labor legislation, a comprehensive social protection system is lacking. The Government of Bangladesh aims for a National Social Insurance Scheme (NSIS) encompassing health, unemployment, injury, maternity benefits, and pensions, but progress remains limited. Marginalized groups, especially women and disabled individuals, still face discrimination. The assignment’s aim is to enhance the conditions for access to social protection for textile and leather sector workers.

Working Area: RMG Sector (not limited to any specific geographic location)

Key Role of BBDN: 

(i) 150 RMG factories training on Return to Work
(ii) Development of treatment & management protocols on occupational diseases
(iii) 150 RMG factories training on occupational diseases management protocol
(iv) Inter-ministerial advocacy meetings
(v) Gap analysis on ratification of ILO conventions
(vi) Develop data collection tool to monitor the implementation of the optimized processes