International labour standards
National Dialogue reaffirms government’s commitment to ratify ILO Convention No. 190
The Ministry of Women and Children Affairs of Bangladesh government expressed its full support to ratify ILO Convention no. 190, the Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019.
6 May 2025
DHAKA (ILO News)- “Violence and harassment aren’t confined to the workplace—they happen at home, during commutes, and on the journey back. How can women truly thrive professionally under such conditions? Convention 190 addresses all these dimensions comprehensively. There is no reason it shouldn’t be ratified, and my ministry stands ready to fully support its ratification and implementation.” Ms Sharmeen S. Murshid, Honourable Advisor, Ministry of Women & Children Affairs (MoWCA) stated so in a national dialogue on 6 May 2025 that brought together government officials, trade union leaders, employers’ representatives, civil society organizations, and development partners, reaffirming the government’s commitment on the ratification of ILO Convention No. 190 (C190) on Violence and Harassment.
The dialogue, organized by the Trade Union International Labour Standards (TU ILS) Committee, comes at a crucial time as Bangladesh undertakes reforms to its Bangladesh Labour Act and preparing a draft law to address sexual harassment. The TU ILS Committee, set up under the National Coordination Committee for Workers’ Education (NCCWE) and the Industrial Bangladesh Council (IBC), are playing a crucial role in promoting ratifications and application of ratified Conventions both in law and practices. The event is supported by the Advancing Decent Work in Bangladesh project with a funding of the Team Europe Initiative on Decent Work in Bangladesh by the European Union, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Sweden.
Mr. A H M Shafiquzzaman, Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoLE) said, “It is a sobering reality that, even in 2025, we continue to grapple with violence and harassment in the workplace despite the progress our society has made. I am fully committed to aligning the Bangladesh Labour Act with C190 to establish a strong legal framework that truly protects workers. Before I retire, I am determined to ratify Conventions Nos 155, 187, and 190 along with ensuring Bangladesh Labour Act amendment completion.”
“For Bangladesh, ratification would demonstrate strong national and global commitment to decent work. It would further contribute to enhancing laws and practices aimed at producing safe, harassment and violence free workplaces for women and men in in Bangladesh,” said Tuomo Poutiainen, Country Director, ILO.
Workers’ representatives emphasized that ratifying C190 will reinforce Bangladesh’s commitment to safe and dignified workplaces and support the implementation of national policies on violence and harassment.
“This dialogue is a timely initiative given the context of violence and harassment in Bangladesh. We believe this event can bring all stakeholders under one platform and join force in transforming our laws for the safety and dignity of all workers”, said Mr. Chowdhury Ashiqul Alam, Convenor of the TU ILS Committee.
Along with the esteemed guests, Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmed, Executive Director, Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS) and Head of Labour Reform Commission, Shireen Pervin Huq, Chairperson, Women Affairs Reform Commission, Badal Khan, Chairperson, NCCWE, Towhidur Rahman, President, Bangladesh Apparels Workers Federation (BAWF), Rafiqul Islam, Secretary, BGMEA, Saki Rezwana, Chairperson, Women's Committee, NCCWE, and China Rahman, Women Secretary, IBC attended this panel discussion. They reaffirmed consensus to ratify C190 and involving all parties to create an enabling environment to facilitate the ratification of the Convention.