BANGLADESH moving out of the world’s 10 worst countries for worker rights in the 2026 Global Rights Index of the International Trade Union Confederation for the first time after 2017 is a positive development. Bangladesh now has Rating 5, which means ‘no guarantee of rights,’ from having had Rating 5+, which means ‘no guarantee of rights due to the breakdown of the rule of law.’ Bangladesh has moved out of the group in the report, published on June 1, mainly riding on some legislative reforms effected during the interim administration. The Labour Act (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025, promulgated on November 17, was passed into law, providing for an overhaul of labour governance. The reforms have reduced barriers to trade union formation by allowing unions with the support of 20 workers, replacing the previous requirement of 20 per cent of the total work force. The reforms have introduced 120 days of paid maternity leave, expanded social security, welfare and the right to unionism to household service and agricultural workers and brought the ship-breaking industry under labour regulations. There are still inadequacies for the government to attend to and there is, therefore, no place for complacence.
The crux that remains is that Rating 5 still means ‘no guarantee of rights’ although there have been several constructive measures. The report on the index, which assesses worker rights protection in law and practice, says that workers in Bangladesh continue to face serious obstacles in exercising fundamental labour rights, noting that the freedom of association remains heavily restricted because of regulatory barriers and strong resistance from employers. The report also says that workers in special economic zones are still systematically denied their right to form and join trade unions. It highlights continued repression of labour protests and strikes with police action and legal restrictions, referring to the April 2025 incident in which workers of three apparel factories went on demonstrations to demand unpaid wages for months and festival allowance, noting that police and labour authorities dispersed the protests with tear gas, leaving many workers injured. The confederation says that countries continuously having Rating 5 are still considered amongst the worst places for workers because some rights may formally exist in national legislation but workers effectively have little or no access to such rights and remain exposed to unfair labour practices.
Everything ultimately depends on the effective implementation of the legal reforms by removing the administrative obstacles. What the government further needs to do is to extend legal protection to all categories of workers and ensure meaningful trade union representation in tripartite committees. Bangladesh has moved out of the worst group on paper; the government now must work for Bangladesh to move out of the group in practice in its own interests.
