The Jatiya Sangsad on Thursday passed the Bangladesh Labour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, incorporating provisions aimed at strengthening labour rights and aligning the country’s labour standards with international norms.
Labour and Employment Minister Ariful Hoque Chowdhury moved the bill in the House for turning the ordinance issued in this regard during the interim government into law with some amendments and incorporating provisions. Later, it was passed by voice vote.
The bill seeks to enact the Bangladesh Labour (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025 and introduces significant reforms to advance the decent work agenda and ensure greater protection of workers’ rights in line with international labour standards.
In the objective of the bill, it was stated that in line with the commitments made in the election manifesto of the present government and with the objective of upgrading the country’s labour standards to international levels, an initiative has been taken to further amend the Bangladesh Labour Act, 2006 (as amended from time to time).
On 17 November 2025, the draft of the Bangladesh Labour (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025 was approved in principle and finally by the Advisers Council meeting during the interim government.
The bill also seeks to enhance workers’ rights and clarify provisions on layoff and wage calculation.
Under the new amendments, Section 14 has been updated to define continuous service as 240 days in 12 months or 120 days in six months and includes last monthly wages and allowances for compensation calculations.
Section 16 now ensures that workers registered in an establishment’s workers’ register and with at least three months’ service are entitled to full layoff compensation, while transferred workers with one year of continuous service are not considered transfer workers for compensation purposes.
According to the provisions of the bill, the scope of the Labour Act has been expanded by extending freedom of association and collective bargaining rights to workers who were previously excluded, while the minimum membership requirement for trade union registration has been reduced and documentation requirements simplified.
The bill has proposed amendments to Section 179 of the Bangladesh Labour Act, 2006 to streamline trade union registration and strengthen organizational governance.
Under the proposed amendment, the number of trade union officers will be determined according to the union’s constitution, while executive and general meetings must be conducted as per constitutional provisions with at least one general meeting to be held annually.
The amendment allows a minimum of 20 workers to apply for trade union registration, but requires specific membership thresholds based on the size of the workforce, ranging from 20 members for establishments with up to 300 workers to 400 members for establishments with over 3,000 workers.
The Director General or responsible authority will verify registration information through worker lists collected from establishments or through digital and online systems.
The amendment also limits trade union registrations to a maximum of three in any establishment or group of establishments at any time.
The changes aim to ensure transparency, accountability and effective management of trade unions in line with international labour standards.
The Bangladesh Labour (Amendment) Bill 2026 also includes new provisions to protect workers and trade union members from unfair labour practices and anti-trade union discrimination.
Under the proposed amendments, employers will be prohibited from blacklisting workers or trade union members, establishing trade unions under employer control, or providing financial or other support to influence trade union activities.
Employers will also be barred from encouraging the formation of rival unions, dismissing union leaders in a discriminatory manner, or taking retaliatory actions against workers for filing complaints, participating in legal proceedings, or reporting unfair labour practices.
The bill proposes an amendment to section 196 Ka to define retaliatory actions against workers for seeking investigation of unfair labour practices as anti-trade union discrimination.
A new section 196 Kha will be inserted to ensure proper disposal of complaints related to unfair labour practices and anti-trade union discrimination.
Under this provision, the Director General will be empowered to immediately order employers to stop such activities and provide financial compensation to affected workers if losses occur.
The proposed amendments aim to strengthen workers’ rights, ensure fair trade union practices, and enhance accountability of employers in line with international labour standards.
The bill also incorporated provisions to strengthen protections against workplace discrimination.
New sections 345Ka and 345Kha have been introduced, prohibiting both direct and indirect discrimination against workers based on race, gender, religion, disability, political opinion, or social status.