Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) President Faruque Hassan has requested the Ministry of Labour and Employment to consider ways of how the central fund could be effectively used to ensure more welfare of garment workers. Leaders of BGMEA led by President Faruque Hassan met  Ehsan-E-Elahi, secretary, the Ministry of Labour and Employment at the secretariat on Tuesday and discussed relevant issues. Read:BGMEA urges govt to speed up airport dev projects BGMEA Vice President Shahidullah Azim and Vice President Miran Ali were also present at the meeting. They had discussion on the overall situation of the RMG industry including workplace safety, workers’ welfare and skills development. The BGMEA leaders thanked the government for providing support in carrying out skills development programs for the RMG industry. Read: BGMEA calls for urgently fixing inoperative scanners at airport They also stressed on the need for taking more initiatives to equip garment workers and employees with re-skilling, upskilling and knowledge to cope up with changing trends in the global apparel industry, especially brought by the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR).

British American Tobacco (BAT) Bangladesh on Sunday donated Tk 9.15 crore to the Labour Welfare Fund under the Ministry of Labour and Employment. BAT Bangladesh has been regularly contributing to this fund since the introduction of the Bangladesh Workers Welfare Foundation Act, according to a press release. On behalf of BAT Bangladesh, a four-member delegation comprising Head of Human Resources Department of BAT Bangladesh Saad Jasim, Head of External Affairs Sheikh Shabab Ahmed, company’s two other high officials Adrita Dutta and Akhtar Anwar Khan handed over the cheque to State Minister for Labour and Employment Begum Mannujan Sufian in the conference room at the Secretariat. During the programme, Labor and Employment Secretary KM Abdus Salam, Director General of Bangladesh Workers Welfare Foundation Mollah Jalal Uddin NDC and other officials were also present amongst others. BAT Bangladesh has been working as a partner of the Government's initiative for more than 110 years. In the past 10 years, BAT Bangladesh has so far contributed a total of Tk 58.15 crore to the fund. Since the Labour Welfare Fund was formed, BAT Bangladesh has been donating a portion of their profit regularly to the fund as a responsible organization. BATB has solely contributed 15 percent of the total accumulated Welfare Fund.

The overall situation of the industrial sector, including readymade garments factories, is more satisfactory than ever as all the workers have already been paid salaries and bonuses. 

The Ministry of Labour and Employment on Wednesday warned that action will be taken under the Labour Act if child labour is used in rawhide preserving and processing during the upcoming Eid-ul Azha.