Occupational safety and health country profile: Bangladesh

Latest news

  1. Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Guideline on Covid-19

    Issued on 08 October 2020

  2. National Profile on Occupational Safety and Health in Bangladesh 2019

    Issued on 16 September 2021

    The national OSH Profile presents the current status of occupational safety and health (OSH) in Bangladesh. The publication provides information on OSH-related laws, regulatory frameworks and provisions in the country.

  3. Rana Plaza, two years on

    Rebuilding life after Rana Plaza: Stories of survivors

    Article | 20 April 2015

    Two years after the tragic collapse of the Rana Plaza garment factory in Bangladesh, the ILO has provided two survivors with support to open their own successful businesses and has helped these entrepreneurs think big for the future.

  4. Post Rana Plaza tragedy

    Improving working conditions in the ready made garment industry: Progress and achievements

    Press release | 09 March 2015

International labour standards

  1. Occupational safety and health

    Protection in specific branches of activity


    Bangladesh has only ratified category or sector specific Conventions on OSH. The country has not ratified key international labour standards on OSH policy, namely the Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 2006 (No. 187) and the Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 1981 (No.155).

  1. Social security

  2. Freedom of association, collective bargaining, and industrial relations

  3. Labour administration and inspection

  4. Tripartite consultation

  5. Other ratified conventions

Laws and regulations

  1. Main law

    Bangladesh Labour (Amendment) Act

    Act No. 30 of 2013

    The Labour (Amendment) Act 2013 makes a large number of amendments to the Labour Act 2006 and, particularly, introduces several provisions aimed at improving workplace safety.

    Among others, the amended legislation now requires the creation of safety committees in factories with 50 workers or more, the establishment of workplace Health Centres in workplaces with over 5000 employees and safety welfare officers in workplaces with more than 500. Under the amendments compensation for work-related deaths is provided after two years in employment, compared to the current three years period. Workplaces of over 500 employers are required to arrange for and cover the cost of treatment of occupational diseases. The labour inspectorate is given new responsibilities to inspect safety and health conditions of workplaces and conduct on-the-spot inspections.

    Other important amendments deal with dangerous work for children; emergency exits; access to gangways and stairs for workers; mandatory use of personal safety equipment; notification of competent authority in case of incident; and provisions on social dialogue, trade unions and dispute resolution; and employers and companies responsibilities.

  2. Other laws and regulations

    1. Protection against particular hazards
    2. Protection in sectors of economic activity

Policies and programmes

  1. National profile in 2002

    The profile consists of Macro and Micro sessions, a Case Study section, and it concludes with some Recommendations.

Statistics

  1. ILOSTAT

    Occupational injuries

    Database of labour statistics

    Contains annual data collected mainly through the ILO yearly questionnaire. It covers a wide range of topics including occupational injuries.