Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter said that most of the organisations working for human rights do not talk about the rights of workers.
"Violating workers' rights is, in fact, a violation of human rights," she said.
Speaking as the chief guest at a national dialogue organised by the Bangladesh Agricultural Farm Workers Federation, she pointed out that many human rights organisations overlook the rights of workers, particularly those in agriculture and the informal economy.
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The dialogue, titled "Inclusive Labor Laws Equivalent to Global Standards and Legal Recognition of Workers in Agriculture and the Informal Economy", was held at the CIRDAP Auditorium on Monday.
Farida Akhter said that workers' rights must be enshrined in the Constitution. "We will work to ensure that something is done for the workers," she stated.
She noted that while the exploitation of various workers, such as those in the garment sector, is often highlighted, the exploitation of agricultural workers often goes unnoticed.
She also criticised the previous government's approach to agricultural modernisation, which she said focused on the use of harvester machines that led to unemployment among farmers due to high wages.
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Additionally, she raised concerns about the widespread use of herbicides in farming, warning that caution should be taken due to potential health hazards.
The adviser also pointed out that the term "farmer" is not included in the Agricultural Act, which instead refers to "contact farmers."
She called for changes in the Agricultural Farm Worker Recruitment and Control Policy, 2017, advocating for a focus on establishing workers' rights rather than merely controlling them.
Speakers at the event emphasised the need to eliminate discrimination between employees and workers.
They called for the inclusion of workers in the national database, ensuring they are brought under the protection of social security, especially in the era of information technology.