RMG Workers in Bangladesh:Violation of the
rights or overlooking the law?
Nadia Islam**
Abstract: This paper presents the scenario where a worker’s basic right is violated in the garment factories of Bangladesh. Bangladesh Labour Act 2006, amended in 2013, codified all the old law and specifies law to protect the worker’s right including damages to pay to the employees who have suffered injury or illness through their employer’s fault. This paper also highlights the current situation of the workers’ status after an amended labour Act.Finally, it raises the question whether the present law can guarantee adequate and sustainable rights for the workers that they are deprived of.
Introduction
Employing 3.6 million workers in 4,500 garment factories, Bangladesh’s garment industry generates over three quarters of the country’s total export revenue.[1] In spite of the central role the sector plays in the nation’s economy, Bangladeshi garment workers suffer from horrifying conditions in the factories while earning well below a living wage and having limited or no benefits. In contrast, female workers, who make up nearly 85% of the garment sector workforce, are paid even less than their male counterparts, and are especially vulnerable to abuse.[2]
It is a fact that Bangladesh Labour Act 2006 the final amendment of which came into force in 2013, is an amalgamation of the amendments from the previous statutes. It has been implemented with the help of many domestic and international organizations to develop the labour rights and their overall situation, providing safe work place, adequate compensation and well-being. According to the law, the commercial establishment, industries, factories, shops etc. need to implement and follow all the rules and regulations of this Act that are applicable for them respectively. This Act provides a basic guideline for the injured worker and their compensation. However, it overrides the old doctrines of assumed risks, common employment, contributory negligence, the end of personal actions with the deathof the workman and the compensation paid to a workman for doing any negligent or wrongful act on the part of his master or his master’s servant.[3]
This article focuses the relevant statutes of Bangladesh. It has evaluated the relevant statutory provisions of the concerned Acts on the rights of workers’forbetter safety and tends to suggest some improvements of those concerned laws.
The Labour Law Act 2006 [4]
The pinnacle process that began in 1992, the 2006 Bangladesh Labour Law Act was greeted as a landmark achievement for factory workers. The new law brought together 25 separate Acts and Ordinances enacted over the three and a half decades since Bangladesh gained independence. This scope extended the applicability of labour regulations nationwide. A range of stakeholders played a role in developing the legislation, including workers’ rights groups, human rights organisations, the UN International LabourOrganisation(ILO) and employers themselves.[5]
Since Bangladesh has been an active Member State of the ILO from 1972 and to date, has ratified 35 ILO Conventions that includes seven of eight fundamental Conventions of the ILO.[6] The Government has amended the Bangladesh Labour Act 2006 in 2013,to make it more in line with the ILO conventions. The impetus for a reformed labor rights law evolved from the collapse of the Rana Plaza building in greater Dhaka in April, which killed more than 1,100 garment factory workers.[7]
Hence, the law promised to benefit workers by guaranteeing rights that were being violated on a regular basis by employers. For example, the law strengthened maternity benefits by extending the period of maternity leave from 12 to 16 weeks. It also required companies to issue workers with an appointment letter, a measure which helps prevent employers cheating workers out of benefits. In addition, the law set an employer deadline for payment of wages, raised compensation pay in cases of accidents in the workplace and established more robust health and safety codes for factories.[8]
A failure of enforcement
During the passage of the Bangladesh Labour Law marked an important step towards justice for garment workers, factory conditions that have not improved and workers continue to earn well below a living wage. Nevertheless, the law failed to bring about lasting change in the lives of workers due to lack of enforcement of its key provisions. The Bangladesh Ministry of Labour and Employment has primarily been responsible for monitoring enforcement of the Labour Law. However, resources allocated to the Ministry are woefully inadequate. If we look at the statistics of 2006 there were only 20 inspectors responsible for monitoring the conditions of more than 20,000 factories, docks and other businesses across Bangladesh.
Whereas, in September 2018, according to the report of European Commission – which is co-signed by the Government of Bangladesh, only 29% of initial safety defects found in factories covered by national inspection bodies have been remediated. Many of the safety issues that remain pending constitute immediate dangers to garment workers and most of the remediation deadlines have expired years ago.[9]
There are other voluntary associations that have been set up by the factories themselves that is intended to play an important role in enforcing labour standards in the garment sector. The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association and the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association were both established by the garment industry to monitor and report on the implementation of the Labour Law in factories. Such compliance associations operate outside any enforceable legal framework, and have proven unwilling to pursue any cases of non-compliance in their member factories.[10]
In addition there is also no international mechanism for enforcing the domestic law that can be used to hold foreign companies operating in Bangladesh to account for conditions in their supply chains. Many multinational companies are supplied by Bangladeshi factories, including British renowned retailers Tesco, Asda and Primark. These companies wield enormous influence over their foreign suppliers. Thus, as a result, the pressure placed on these suppliers leads to lower wages and deteriorating conditions for workers.[11]
Moreover, without effective enforcement of the Labour Law, Bangladeshi workers continue to face dire conditions. To ensure a decent life for millions of workers and their families there are few evidences can be found which violates the existing labour legislation.
Therefore, if we look at this article we will find a series of issues, including unsafe factories, unpaid overtime, lack of benefits, gender discrimination that is described by the workers. The key issues have been described below step by step-
1.Proof of employment
The Labour Law Act 2006 [12]makes it compulsory for employers to issue appointment letters to all workers. An appointment letter serves as a contract that enables workers to prove their status as employees who are entitled to the full range of rights. However, 53% of the workers interviewed as part of the research of War of Want, did not receive an appointment letter. In many cases workers were given pieces of identification with far less legal value, such as ID cards or attendance cards. These documents offer limited protection against fraudulent employer practices. Many workers reported that managers held on to their attendance cards or reissued them on a monthly basis and leave them without a record of their hours worked.[13]
2.The minimum wage
Most of the parts of minimum wage laws are being adhered to the salaries. It has been set at suchlevelsthat cause majority of workers to face dire poverty. The minimum wage is set by the Wage Board, which, according to the Labour Law, “shall take into consideration, while framing any recommendation, the cost of living, standard of living, production cost, production capacity, price of produced goods, inflation…and socio-economic condition of the country.”[14]
Prior to the BLA 2006, the minimum wage in Bangladesh is determined by each worker’s employment level. An entry-level worker, for example, is guaranteed a minimum monthly wage of Tk 1,663.[15]
From the entry-level earners to higher paid labourers, 88% of them received the minimum wage according to their grade as defined by the government. There were, however, numerous reports of violations committed by sub-contractors. Over 60% of garment workers received a monthly wage of less than Tk 3,000, which is roughly £25. The current minimum wage, established by the Wage Board in 2006 after remaining fixed for over a decade, in fact has a lower value in real terms than the previous minimum wage after the rising cost of food, fuel and other commodities are taken into account.[16]
Factoring in this disparity between wage levels and increases in the cost of living, the current minimum wage is in direct contravention of Bangladeshi law.[17]However, under domestic and international pressure, on July 15, 2013, the Bangladeshi parliament enacted changes to the Labor Act by increasing salaries of garment workers.[18]
Subsequently, the legal minimum wage for garment workers in the country is 8,000 taka (£73.85) a month. However, the amount was increased by 2,700Tk a month in December, but campaigners say workers need 16,000Tk to live a comfortable life in Bangladesh.[19] With such low wages, employees often feel compelled to take on large amounts of overtime to make ends meet.[20]
3.Gruelling hours and unpaid leave
In spite of legislation limiting working time, s.100 and s.108 of BLA2006[21] states that, the working time should not exceed no more than eight hours per day and 48 hours in a week, excessive working hours are still usual rather than the exception.[22]Even subject to article 24 of The Universal Declaration on Human Rights (UDHR) 1948 also clarifies that there should be a reasonable limitation of working hours for workers.[23]
Yet in reality, according to the AMF and NGWF study, nearly half of the workers worked between 13 and 16 hours a day; some of them regularly worked more than eight hours a day. In addition, 78% of workers were put on the night shift, at times remaining at the factory until 3am and returning at 7am that same morning for another day of work.[24]
However, in recent amendments of Labour Act 2013, a worker is entitled to get maternity leave, weekly holiday, casual leave, sick leave and annual leave with full wages under s.46, s.103, s.115, s.116 and s.117 of the Act, and according to section 11, the employer shall pay wages to the worker in lieu of the un-availed leave.[25] As gratuity, a worker is entitled as termination benefit under s.2(10) the wages of at least 30 days for every completed year of their service exceeding 06 months or, the wages of 45 days for every completed year in case of service more than 10 years.[26]
Nevertheless in spite of having this law, workers get only 10 days or less of the total 21 days of annual leave. It has been calculated that only9% received their full allotment of paid holiday including time off for Eid. Although workers are entitled to 14 days paid sick leave, many of them explained that their employers pressure them into working through illness. No worker reported ever receiving paid sick leave.
4.Forced overtime and unpaid wages
Forcedlabour is globally prohibited by the Forced Labour Convention, 1930.[27] The Constitution of Bangladesh under article 34 also prohibits forced labour. But, in order to fulfil production quotas, many workers are forced to work overtimes per day than the amounts required in law.[28]
In Bangladesh, at least 70% of respondents reported that they are forced to meet daily targets that are set unrealistically high. Over half of the workers have worked seven days a week to meet daily targets that are unrealistically high and earn enough to live on. Those workers that do take a day off during the week keep hours that are equivalent to a full seven-day working week in order to make up for lost earnings. Under Bangladeshi law all employers must grant workers at least one day off a week.[29]
On the other hand, s.26 of the Act[30] provides that a monthly rated worker is entitled to get four months basic salary. Every employer shall be liable to pay to workers employed by him all wages required to be paid under s.121 of the Act.[31] Under s.23(2) of the Act[32] all wages payable to a worker shall be paid before the expiry of the thirtieth working day following the day termination of their employment.[33]
Whereas, in reality, the back-breaking hours and unpaid overtime are made all the more shocking by the frequency with which workers are cheated out of payment for hours worked.[34]According to the UNICEF report of 2015 on The Ready Made Garment sector and Children in Bangladesh, over two thirds of workers employers do not provide any wage slip or other documentation of their earnings from employers. This kind of activity creating absurd situation for workers to verify that they are being paid the proper amount.[35]
Many factories that do issue wage slips present the information in a way that is deliberately misleading. As a result, the vast majority of whom are poorly educated face difficulties to ascertain the actual payment which they deserve. According to the report War of Want on Labour Rights Violations in the Garment Sectors in Bangladesh, nearly 45% of the workers claimed that their final wages do not reflect the full number of hoursworked.Garment workers must also contend with late payment of wages. However, less than 10% of workers received their wages within the legal timeframe established under the Labour Law. Over a third of the workers typically receive their pay towards the end of the month following that which they worked, which is three weeks later than the legally mandated payment deadline.[36]
5.Unsafe conditions
The Bangladesh Labour Act 2006[37] ensures some special provisions regarding the health issue as well as safety for the employees under chapter VII in sections 79-88. According to this chapter, the workers should be notified such operations which are hazardous and also harmful for their health. The employee has right to know the information of certain accident and dangerous occurrences which might happen to their workplaces.[38]Whereas, despite of having this law, health and safety violations are extensive in Bangladesh’s garment factories.[39] Over 70% of workers reported in World Business Council for Sustainable Development: Business Action for Safe Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, that their workplace lacked safe drinking water, even though many factories are poorly ventilated and often reach blistering temperatures.[40] An even higher percentage of workers claimed in UNICEF report that the factory where they worked did not have a functioning fire escape. Moreover, only 23% of those interrogated that they had access to toilet facilities.[41]
6.Gender Discrimination
The 2006 Labour Law[42] contains a provision guaranteeing equal rate of pay for men and women. In Article 23(2) & 23(3) of UDHR (Universal Declaration of Human Rights) 1948[43] also states about right to equal payment for equal work, just and favorable remuneration.[44]However, according to the research conducted by the AMRF and the NGWF, women earn far less than their male colleagues.[45]
The wage disparity is the result of two interrelated factors. Male garment workers are far more likely than women to hold jobs that traditionally pay more, such as quality control and floor supervisor, and men also earn more than women who perform the same work.[46]
While all garment workers face poor conditions and poverty wages in factories, female workers suffer in particular. Most of the female workers face widespread instances of physical and verbal abuse in factories at the hands of management. The abuse can take the form of obscene language and humiliation, as well as corporal punishment, beatings and molestation. Some young women workers are offered work privileges in return for sex, and that those who refuse are beaten or fired. In total, 90% of all workers reported being subjected to abuse of some kind.[47]
7.Maternity Rights Denied
Most women are deprived of maternity leave, which is guaranteed under law. In many cases women have to negotiate individually with management for time off before and after childbirth. Some women are granted a few weeks of paid leave, while others must accept a reduced wage or take unpaid leave.[48]
However, one of the most impactful changes brought about by the recently amended Act of BLA 2013, guarantees financial benefits to new mothers after they give birth. Previously, if a woman had not given notice prior to the birth of her child, if she did so after the birth, she could still avail maternity leave for a period of up to 8 weeks afterwards. In this situation, however, it was not specified that the post-birth leave period would be paid. [49]
The amended Act gives additional clarification that the post-birth leave period must be paid along with other benefits. This provision is kept within its proper bounds, however, by another new provision which provides that such benefits shall not be given if a miscarriage occurs although the worker may take leave for any health issues that may arise.[50]
Whereas, in reality, most of the women workers have little knowledge of their rights or of the necessary applications to employers or the doctors’ certificates needed in order to claim those rights. As a result, many of them are being fired by their employers when they become pregnant, or sent on leave without payment. Moreover, most of the women are forced to work during the final stages of pregnancy in order to make ends meet, jeopardising the health of both mother and child. [51]
8.Trade Unions
Bangladesh has ratified most of the core International Labour Organization labor standards, including Convention No. 87 on “freedom of association” and Convention No. 98 on “the right to organize and bargain” respectively.[52] However, important sections of the Labor Act still do not meet those standards. In an editorial of Human RightsWatchnamed asBangladesh: Amended Labours Law Falls Short, states about some new amendments that is dealt with only some problematic provisions of the existing law. For example-At least 30 percent of the workers in an establishment, which can comprise many factories, would still have to join a union for the government to register it. This will enable employers to force out union leaders by firing them for an ostensibly non-union-related reason whereas in Bangladesh workers in export processing zones covers a large percentage of Bangladesh’s work forces. Therefore, it would remain legally unable to form trade unions. [53]
The amended law adds more sectors, including non-profit education and training facilities, as well as “hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centers,” to a lengthy list of types of employment. As a result workers are not permitted to form these facilities within the unions. [54]
The right to strike will remain burdened and the requirement that two-thirds of the union’s membership would have to vote for a strike and therefore, a small improvement over the previous requirement of three-quarters of the membership. The government will be able to stop a strike if it decides it would cause “serious hardship to the community” or is “prejudicial to the national interest.” Since the terms are not defined in the amended Act there is a high chance to misuse it. The amended law also seeks to redirect attention to so-called “Participation Committees” and “Safety Committees.” Workers at non-union workplaces would directly elect their representatives to Participation Committees and Safety Committees. This can be created in factories including more than 50 workers. However, the role of these committees is not clearly defined. Therefore, to fulfill these duties a union acting should be handled by the duly organized and elected representative of the workers. [55]
Scope of protection for workers in Bangladesh Labour court.
Our Honorable Supreme Court providednumerous landmark decisions for the protection of labour rights. In BWDB v The Chairman[56], theheir to the deceased worker received unpaid benefits. Unders.132(1) of the LabourAct 2006[57] states that, if the wages of a worker is not paid or payment of their wages or gratuity payable or dues from the provident fund is delayed, the worker of in case of death any of their heirs or any legal representative may apply to the Labour Court for recovery of wages or other dues.[58]
Similarly, in the Adam Ltd. v UnisaKhatoon[59]case, under s.4 of Workmen’s Compensation Act 1923,[60] a widow was compensated for the death of her husband caused by an accident during his course of employment. On the other hand, in theA.K.M. Shamsuzzaman Khan v Chairman[61]case, unders.2 (1) (b) of Workmen’s Compensation Act of 1923,[62]Supreme Court of Bangladesh held that a bus conductor received compensation for permanent total disablement caused by accident during his course of employment. [63]
Moreover, in Bangladesh National Woman Lawyers Association (BNWLA) v The Cabinet Division[64]the Honorable High Court outlined directions to the Government for the protection and betterment of the Domestic Workers.[65] On 2nd February 2017, according to The DailyStarnewspaper, The High Court asked the Ministry of Labour and Employment, city corporation, district administration and UpazilaNirbahi Officers (UNO) to form monitoring bodies to protect the rights of the domestic workers across the country[66] in accordance with Domestic Workers Protection and Welfare Policy, 2015.[67] Therefore, it is an evident that, worker’s rights have been well protected as domestic legal order of Bangladesh.
However, a large number of amendments focus on reducing the imprisonment terms, for both workers and for employers in cases of contravention. This may appear to go against the strict implementation of the Act. For example, if workers act in an illegal strike, the imprisonment term has been lowered from 1 (one) year to 6 (six) months. This goes both ways, so if meanwhile, an employer acts in an illegal lock-out, their imprisonment has similarly been reduced from 1 (one) year to 6 (six) months. Therefore, to secure higher compliance with the Act the legal provisions needs to be tightening along with a better administered implementation. [68]
Conclusion
To exclude the whole scheme, in conclusion, it can be precluded that, recent social changes and higher expectations of workers have been reflected in the recent amendments of Labour law. In the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948, a Treaty that is accepted as jus cogens under international law:“Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.”[69]Therefore, as a right for a worker itis necessary for the industry to improve the safety and health conditions and compensation mechanisms for workers by including mental injury and other physical injury.
However, question may be asked as to then why our workers are not getting protection of these rights. The answer is, the problem lies in the implementation and enforcement of laws. Moreover, employers need to strictly follow the law under the Labour Act to keep them in a good position for paying the compensation amount properly by which a worker can return to work facilities and programmers, providing support to victims to re-enter the job market. As a result, this will help tosetup the establishment of health and rehabilitation facilities by ensuring good coverage in urban and rural areas as soon as possible.Additionally, employers need to start giving and ensuring proper education and training for different industries to reduce accidents, and improve health and safety standards so that in future a worker can give adequate attention inthe work place. We hope that the proper implementation of labour laws would safeguard the life and dignity of our workers from any more exploitation and deprivation.
*** The author is a final year student at LCLS(South)
[1]VéroniqueSalze-Lozac’h, ‘United Efforts, Not Boycotts, Will Help Bangladesh’s Garment Workers’ (Asia Foundation, 15th May 2013) <http://asiafoundation.org/2013/05/15/united-efforts-not-boycotts-will-help-bangladeshs-garment-workers/> accessed on 5th September, 2019
[2]War on Want, ‘Ignoring The Law, Labour rights violations in the garment industry in Bangladesh’ (2009) <https://waronwant.org/sites/default/files/Ignoring%20the%20Law%20-%20Labour%20Rights%20Violations%20and%20the%20Bangladeshi%20Garment%20Industry.pdf> accessed on 6th September, 2019
[3]SazeedaJohora Thakur, ‘Compensation for Work Related Injury or Illness under the Bangladesh Labour Act (2017) 19(9)IOSR-JBM <http://www.iosrjournals.org/iosr-jbm/papers/Vol19-issue9/Version-4/D1909042126.pdf> accessed on 9th September, 2019
[4]Bangladesh Labour Act 2006 amended by 2013
[5]War on Want, ‘Ignoring The Law, Labour rights violations in the garment industry in Bangladesh’ (2009)<https://waronwant.org/sites/default/files/Ignoring%20the%20Law%20-%20Labour%20Rights%20Violations%20and%20the%20Bangladeshi%20Garment%20Industry.pdf> accessed on 9th September, 2019
[6]M. AftabUddin, ‘Unjustified termination of workers‘ The Daily Star Dhaka (10th November, 2019)
<https://www.thedailystar.net/law-our-rights/rights-advocacy/unjustified-termination-workers-1591834> accessed on 11th September, 2019
[7]Human Rights Watch Online Report, ‘ Bangladesh: Amended Labour Law Falls Short Some Improvements But Workers Right Still At Serious Risk’, Human Rights Watch (15th July, 2013)<https://www.hrw.org/news/2013/07/15/bangladesh-amended-labor-law-falls-short> accessed on 13th September, 2019
[8]Bangladesh Labour Act 2006 amended by 2013
[9] European Commission, Implementation of the Bangladesh Compact: Technical Status Report (2018) <http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2018/september/tradoc_157426.pdf> accessed on 15th September, 2019
[10]War on Want, ‘Ignoring The Law, Labour rights violations in the garment industry in Bangladesh’ (2009)<https://waronwant.org/sites/default/files/Ignoring%20the%20Law%20-%20Labour%20Rights%20Violations%20and%20the%20Bangladeshi%20Garment%20Industry.pdf> accessed on 17th September, 2019
[11]War on Want, ‘Ignoring The Law, Labour rights violations in the garment industry in Bangladesh’ (2009)<https://waronwant.org/sites/default/files/Ignoring%20the%20Law%20-%20Labour%20Rights%20Violations%20and%20the%20Bangladeshi%20Garment%20Industry.pdf> accessed on 19th September, 2019
[12] Bangladesh Labour Act 2006 amended by 2013
[13]War on Want, ‘Stitched Up: Women Workers In The Bangladeshi Garment Sectors’ (2011)<https://waronwant.org/sites/default/files/Stitched%20Up.pdf> accessed on 21st September, 2019
[14]War on Want, ‘Ignoring The Law, Labour rights violations in the garment industry in Bangladesh’ (2009)<https://waronwant.org/sites/default/files/Ignoring%20the%20Law%20-%20Labour%20Rights%20Violations%20and%20the%20Bangladeshi%20Garment%20Industry.pdf> accessed on 22nd September, 2019
[15]Bangladesh Labour Act 2006 amended by 2013
[16]Bangladesh Labour Act 2006, amended in 2013 <https://wageindicator.org/labour-laws/labour-law-around-the-world/minimum-wages-regulations/minimum-wages-regulations-bangladesh> accessed on 23th September, 2019
[17]Lisa Martin, Workers making clothes for Australian brands can’t afford to eat, Oxfam reports, The Guardian UK (25th February, 2019)<https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2019/feb/25/australian-fashion-brand-workers-earning-51-cents-an-hour-oxfam-reports> accessed on 25th September, 2019
[18]Human Rights Watch Online Report, ‘ Bangladesh: Amended Labour Law Falls Short Some Improvements But Workers Right Still At Serious Risk’, Human Rights Watch (15th July, 2013) <https://www.hrw.org/news/2013/07/15/bangladesh-amended-labor-law-falls-short> accessed on 27th September, 2019
[19]War on Want, ‘Stitched Up: Women Workers In The Bangladeshi Garment Sectors’ (2011)<https://waronwant.org/sites/default/files/Stitched%20Up.pdf> accessed on 30th September, 2019
[20]Bangladesh Labour Act 2006, amended in 2013 <https://wageindicator.org/labour-laws/labour-law-around-the-world/minimum-wages-regulations/minimum-wages-regulations-bangladesh> accessed on 1st October, 2019
[21] Bangladesh Labour Act 2006, amended by 2013, s.100 & s.108
[22] International Labour Organization, ‘Decent WorkCountryProfileBANGLADESH’ (2013)
<https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/—dgreports/—integration/documents/publication/wcms_216901.pdf> accessed on 3rd October, 2019
[23]S. M. Morsalin Hider, Labour rights in domestic and international arena, The Daily Star Dhaka (11th November, 2019) <https://www.thedailystar.net/law-our-rights/rights-advocacy/labours-right-domestic-and-international-arena-1401559> accessed on 5th October, 2019
[24]War on Want, ‘Ignoring The Law, Labour rights violations in the garment industry in Bangladesh’ (2009) <https://waronwant.org/sites/default/files/Ignoring%20the%20Law%20-%20Labour%20Rights%20Violations%20and%20the%20Bangladeshi%20Garment%20Industry.pdf> accessed on 8th October, 2019
[25] Bangladesh Labour Law 2006 amended by 2013, s. 46, s. 103, s.115, s.116 and s. 117
[26] S. M. Morsalin Hider, ‘Labour rights in domestic and international arena’, The Daily Star Dhaka (11th November, 2019) <https://www.thedailystar.net/law-our-rights/rights-advocacy/unjustified-termination-workers-1591834> accessed on 10th October, 2019
[27] Forced Labour Convention 1930
[28]S. M. Morsalin Hider, ‘Labour rights in domestic and international arena’, The Daily Star Dhaka (11th November, 2019) <https://www.thedailystar.net/law-our-rights/rights-advocacy/labours-right-domestic-and-international-arena-1401559> accessed on 11th October, 2019
[29]Unicef unite for children, ‘THE READY-MADE GARMENT SECTOR AND CHILDREN IN BANGLADESH’ (2015)
<https://www.unicef.org/csr/files/CSR_BANGLADESH_RMG_REPORT.PDF> accessed on 12th October, 2019
[30]Bangladesh Labour Act 2006 amended by 2013, s. 26
[31]Bangladesh Labour Act 2006 amended by 2013, s. 121
[32]Bangladesh Labour Act 2006 amended by 2013, s. 123(2)
[33]International Labour Organization, ‘Decent Work Country Profile BANGLADESH’ (2013)<https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/—dgreports/—integration/documents/publication/wcms_216901.pdf> accessed on 13th October, 2019
[34]War on Want, ‘Stitched Up: Women Workers In The Bangladeshi Garment Sectors’ (2011)
<https://waronwant.org/sites/default/files/Stitched%20Up.pdf> accessed on 16th October, 2019
[35]Unicef unite for children, ‘THE READY-MADE GARMENT SECTOR AND CHILDREN IN BANGLADESH’ (2015)
<https://www.unicef.org/csr/files/CSR_BANGLADESH_RMG_REPORT.PDF> accessed on 18th October, 2019
[36]Unicef unite for children, ‘THE READY-MADE GARMENT SECTOR AND CHILDREN IN BANGLADESH’ (2015)
<https://www.unicef.org/csr/files/CSR_BANGLADESH_RMG_REPORT.PDF> accessed on 18th October, 2019
[37] Bangladesh Labour Act 2006 amended by 2013
[38]Dr. Parvez Ahmed, RehenaParvin, ‘PROTECTION OF WORKERS IN WORKPLACES: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF LABOUR LAWS OF THE UK, THE USA AND BANGLADESH (2015) 2(1) GURSS<https://green.edu.bd/wp-content/uploads/PDFs/Journals/GURSS/v-2-i-1/PROTECTION_OF WORKERS_IN_WORKPLACES.pdf> accessed on 20th October, 2019
[39]War on Want, ‘Stitched Up: Women Workers In The Bangladeshi Garment Sectors’ (2011)
<https://waronwant.org/sites/default/files/Stitched%20Up.pdf> accessed on 25th October, 2019
[40]See, for example, World Business Council for Sustainable Development. Business Action for Safe Water, Sanitation and Hygiene.<http://www.wbcsd.org/washatworkplace.aspx> accessed on 27th October, 2019
[41]Unicef unite for children, ‘THE READY-MADE GARMENT SECTOR AND CHILDREN IN BANGLADESH’ (2015)
<https://www.unicef.org/csr/files/CSR_BANGLADESH_RMG_REPORT.PDF> accessed on 28th October, 2019
[42] Bangladesh Labour Law Act 2006 amended by 2013
[43] Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) 1948, article 23(2), 23(3)
[44]Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) 1948
[45]War on Want, ‘Ignoring The Law, Labour rights violations in the garment industry in Bangladesh’ (2009) <https://waronwant.org/sites/default/files/Ignoring%20the%20Law%20-%20Labour%20Rights%20Violations%20and%20the%20Bangladeshi%20Garment%20Industry.pdf> accessed on 30th October, 2019
[46]European Commission, Implementation of the Bangladesh Compact: Technical Status Report (2018) <http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2018/september/tradoc_157426.pdf> accessed on 30th October, 2019
[47]War on Want, ‘Stitched Up: Women Workers In The Bangladeshi Garment Sectors’ (2011)<https://waronwant.org/sites/default/files/Stitched%20Up.pdf> accessed on 1st November, 2019
[48]War on Want, ‘Ignoring The Law, Labour rights violations in the garment industry in Bangladesh’ (2009) <https://waronwant.org/sites/default/files/Ignoring%20the%20Law%20-%20Labour%20Rights%20Violations%20and%20the%20Bangladeshi%20Garment%20Industry.pdf> accessed on 1st November, 2019
[49]War on Want, ‘Stitched Up: Women Workers In The Bangladeshi Garment Sectors’ (2011)<https://waronwant.org/sites/default/files/Stitched%20Up.pdf> accessed on 2nd November,2019
[50]Bangladesh Labour Law Act 2006 amended by 2013
[51]War on Want, ‘Stitched Up: Women Workers In The Bangladeshi Garment Sectors’ (2011)<https://waronwant.org/sites/default/files/Stitched%20Up.pdf> accessed on 4th November, 2019
[52] International Labour Organization 1972
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[56]55 DLR (AD) (2003) 5
[57] Bangladesh Labour Act 2006 amended by 2013, s.131(1)
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[59](1960) 12 DLR 858
[60] Workmen’s Compensation Act 1923, s.4
[61]EPRTC 24 DLR (1972) 94
[62] Workmen’s Compensation Act, s.2 (1)(b)
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[64]2010 31 BLD 265
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[69] Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) 1948, Article 25