The government of Bangladesh has received commendation from the International Labor Organization (ILO) for its wide-ranging labor reforms.
In a letter on Wednesday, ILO Director-General Gilbert F Houngbo praised the “clear outline of these developments” as communicated earlier by Chief Adviser’s Special Envoy Lutfey Siddiqi.
In his letter, Houngbo wrote: “I would like to commend the efforts of the Government of Bangladesh in undertaking a wide range of labor reforms… In particular, I recognize the significant measures introduced in the Bangladesh Labor (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025.”
The commendation follows a November 21, 2025, update from Special Envoy Siddiqi detailing actions toward workers’ rights, including freedom of association, collective bargaining, social dialogue, and working conditions.
Siddiqi noted that, following instructions from Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, “the pace, process and progress of these reforms had to make a clear break from the foot-dragging of the past.”
Houngbo also referred to Bangladesh’s recent ratification of additional conventions on occupational safety and health, and on violence and harassment, as “another historical milestone.”
The instruments of ratification were deposited by Labor Advisor Brigadier General () M. Sakhawat Hussain in Geneva on November 20, 2025, the Chief Advisor’s press wing said on Thursday.
“Taken together, these measures should irreversibly take the country’s labor standards to a much higher plane,” Siddiqi wrote at the conclusion of his letter, underscoring “not just the outcomes but also the processes established along the journey.”
Houngbo concluded by expressing gratitude for the trust placed in the ILO to support the government, workers’, and employers’ organizations through technical assistance throughout this process.
