Country Report : Bangladesh
Ms. Nargis Jahan
BJSD
Bangladesh is a land of long heritage and ancient civilization. According to a latest unofficial survey the
population stands at 146.7 million in an area of 147,570 Square Kilometers with a density of 904/ sq. km.
the economy is highly vulnerable characterized by its huge population with constrained resources. It has
developed cultural background. At the same time it bears a history of long time oppression and non –
independence. As a part of Indian subcontinent it was ruled by the British Emperor for about 200 years,
then the Pakistani rulers run severe oppression on it and finally after nine months long liberation war
against the Pakistani Army the country got her independence in 1971.
Political Structure of Bangladesh:
The political system is parliamentary Democracy Elected every 5 years under a non-party caretaker
Government by the immediately Chief Justice. The press enjoys considerable freedom. Apart from the
economic factors the alarmingly worse law and order situation and high rate of corruption are seen as
major impediments to progress and development.
The people’s Republic of Bangladesh is a unitary, sovereign republic comprising three basic organs the
executive , the legislature, and the judiciary.
The President is the Head of State and is elected by the members of Parliament.
Present BNP led coalition government took the sit after gaining a two – third majority in the last 1st
October’2001 General Election.
Bangladesh Awami League the immediate past ruling party is now the main opposition party in the
parliament.
The head of government is Prime Minster. The executive power of the Republic is exercised by or on
advice of the Prime Minister who commands the support of the majority members of Parliament.
The cabinet is collectively accountable to Parliament. The National Assembly or The Jatiya Sangsad has
300 member elected for a five year term in single seat constituencies. There are 30 reserved seats for
women in the parliament.
Social Structure of Bangladesh:
● The country’s is a land of social values and norms with a rich cultural heritage.
● Many people maintain combined family life.
● It’s a moderate society.
● Most of the people are Muslim, but religious harmony exists here.
● Society is conservative but not rigid.
● Modernization is always welcomed but the own culture, values and norms are never forgotten.
● Bangladesh has made major progress in improving the standard of living of its people over the past 20
years.
● It has secured a success in reducing the fertility rate from 7 to 2.9 births per woman.
● Infant mortality rate has declined to 51 per thousand.
● Life expectancy is now 68 and 69 years for males and females respectively.
● The population growth rate came down from over 3% in the 1970s to 1.48% in 2001.
● Primary education enrolments have doubled in less than 20 years. The adult illiteracy rate has reduced
to 35%.
● Progress is still very much required as the UNDP Human Development Index places the Bangladesh
in 145th position out of 162 countries.
Economic Structure of Bangladesh:
● Bangladesh is a Least Developed Country of South Asia, it has paved its way to development by
coping of with the present globalize economy.
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● Bangladesh is now following free market economy but a number of industries are still in public sector.
So it can be termed as a country of mixed economy.
● Bangladesh is a member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and actively involved in the process
and its activities.
● The country is playing an important role in the international trade negotiation talk and WTO activities
as leader of the Least Developing Countries (LDC).
● The country has been actively reforming its economic, trade policies, taxation rules and system since
late eighties to fit itself with the WTO mechanism.
● Agriculture is the dominant here. 34.6% of total GDP earned from agriculture.
● Industrialization paved its speed in sixties but the neo-global economic pattern has sent the economy
of Bangladesh in peril.
● Globalization has opened new fields of business and trade horizon but at the same time because of
open market economy many industrial goods have lost the local market itself.
● The government has taken the policy of privatization as a result many factories are being closed down
causing a large number of workers jobless.
Despite sustained domestic and international efforts to improve economic and demographic prospects,
Bangladesh remains one of the world’s poorest, most densely populated, and least developed nations.
Some Important Information on Bangladesh
● Area
● Population
● Main Language
● Capital
● Currency
● Average life expectancy (Years)
● Growth rate
● Density of population
● Urban population
● Population under 15 years of age
● Population over 65 years of age
● Male per 100 women
● Human Dev. Index
● Employment Structure
- Agriculture Sector
- Industrial Sector
- Service
● Unemployment
● Number of family
● Average member of family
● Literacy rate (7 yrs & above)
● Per capita GDP at current market price
● Defense
- Military Expenditure
- Member of Army
- Member of Navel Force
- Member of Air Force
- Member of Paramilitary
: 147570 Sq. Km (57966 sq. Miles
: 146.7 Million (14.67 Corers)
: Bangladesh.
: Dhaka
: Taka (100 Paisa)
: Male 58.9, Female 58.0 Years
: 2.17% (1995)
: 755 per Sq. Km.
: 18%
: 41.6%
: 3.3%
: 106
: 36.8
: 63%
: 10%
: 27%
: 2.5% of total working force
: 14.8 million (1.48 Corers)
: 5.7
: 32.4%
: Tk.11,284.00
: 1.7% of GDP
: 1,10,000
: 10,500
: 9,500
: 49,700
Labour Market Situation
Active Labor force is estimated at 53.5 million with 38% women of total workforce. The rate of
unemployment is 3.3% and that of underemployment is estimated at 32%> The population growth rate
1.48% and estimated literacy rate is 56% ( Literacy meaning somehow read , sign, and count) Per capita
GDB US $ 388 with owe capita income US$ 280, GDP growth rate 5% and rate inflation 1.6% , life
expectancy 60.54 years. Agricultural workers 62.3%, Industrial workers 7.6% and others 30.1% of total
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labour force. Population below poverty line 35.6%. Sector wise contribution to GDP. Agriculture 23.46%,
Manufacturing 27.17 %, service and other sector 49.83 %.
World Rankings:
In terms of global rankings, this placed Bangladesh 33 out of 191 countries in terms of GDP, 8 out of 191
countries in terms of population and 150 out of 191 countries in terms of GDP per capita.
Bipartite /Tripartite Mechanisms and collective Bargaining:
The industrial Relations Ordinance is the main Instruments providing for the above mechanisms. There is
clear provision to from “Participation committee”, a bipartite mechanism comprising of equal number of
representation of workers and the employer to meet every 2 month. This mandatory provision is not
complied in 98% of the establishments due to very poor inspection and weak enforcement of law. The
labour court is tripartite with equal number of representation from workers and the employer. This is not
very affective and useful to the workers due to merger number of labour courts and long time required for
disposal of cases. There exists a National Tripartite Consultative Committee with equal representation to
deal with the major labour policy issues. Other tripartite body is the minimum wage board and National
productivity council.
There is no National minimum wage. The National Pay Commission fixes the pay allowances and other
remunerations of the non Industrial Public sector employees. The National Wage and Productivity
Commission fixes the wage and fringe benefits of public sector Industrial workers at an average interval of
5-7 years. Government appoints these commissions. The Minimum Wage board determines wages of
Individual private enterprise on demand.
Due to this factor the scope of collective bargaining is very limited. Only elected collective bargaining agent
(CBA) can raise Industrial dispute. If the employer union negotiation fails any one party may ask the
register of trade Unions to conciliate. Failure of conciliation entitles the Union to declare strike on 21 days
notice and the Employer to announce lay off. Before declaring strike the law provides for securing mandate
by 75% of the workforce by secret ballot.
However, essential services Act eventually restricts the Union from strike action. The Government may any
time declare the Industry/Service “essential” and put ban on strike. Because of these factors collective
bargaining is not much effective.
Trade union structure
The trade union structure in Bangladesh is a three-tire distribution.
National Federation: Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal – BJSD is the largest Trade Union National
Center with 310460 members, about 15% of the organised workforce of which 25650 are women
administered by an elected 121 member central Executive committee including 12 Women Executives.
Number of affiliated Unions 375. Last election was held in January 2005. BJSD is an active member of
SKOP, Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies-BILS and Bangladesh Confederation of Trade Unions has a
strong well organised Women committee and Educators Forum. A Youth Committee is formatted. Regular
publication-Monthly Newsletter in Bengali, BJSD is represented in different committees including Tripartite
Consultation Committee on labour issues, labour Law Reform committee, National Committee on Skill
Development and in the labour courts. Has been maintaining good working relationship with Employers
Federation and other National centers. Individually and unitedly with other National centers BJSD has been
involved in realizations of workers demand, Started organizing cooperatives of workers.
The current priorities of BJSD are:
(i)
Capacity and skill Development
(ii)
Face impact of Privatization and Restructuring
(iii)
Women Empowerment
(iv)
Restore Union image
(v)
Build Alliance and
(vi)
Organise informal sector and casual workers.
Sramik Karmochari Oikya Parishad-SKOP is the platform of joint action on national issues on labour
market and trade union in which all the national federations are equally involved.
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Industrial Federation: It is the body of unions from the same industrial sector. It deals with common
problems and demands of the sector. Basic unions within the sector are its members. At present the
country has a total of 103 Industrial Federations. 928 Basic unions are working under these federations.
Basic Union: This is the main union formed by the direct participation of the workers Grass root level
activists are the members of this workplaqce based unions. Elected body of industry of factory level unions
works as Collective Bargaining Agent-CBA.
Total Basic Unions
Total Members of Basic Unions
: 5242
: 19,69,614
Statistics provided by the government does not segregate women membership in trade union from the total
membership. But it is commonly said that 15% of total members are women. In recent years following the
motivational activities of women participation in trade union is raising. But at present 13 national
federations have their women’s committees. These committees with the support of BILS overwhelmingly
are working in increasing the participation of women in trade unions.
All these thirteen major NTUCs are associated with Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies- BILS, a
common platform of National Trade Union Federation, which works for the development of trade union
activities in the country through education, training and motivational activities.
Use/applications of IT
Information Technology is yet to be familiar among the trade union activists in Bangladesh. Use of IT is
very poor. Very few workers or leaders could managed an orientation on this particular sector so far. But
the use of this modern technology is highly required in the field of trade union. This is needed to bring this
neglected sector under the light of modern days and to offer an opportunity to trade union people to cope
with the technology.
TU Training on IT
The ILO in Dhaka recently organised two training of this kind for the mid level activists from different
national trade union federations. Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies- BILS offers some scopes to its
associated NTUCs in making their leaders and activists familiar with the technology. There are free access
to the NTUC activists of BILS in learning IT and getting email and internet facilities. But all these are very
few of the requirement.
Major Problems in Introducing IT
Introduction of IT in trade union sector of Bangladesh is seemingly a difficult job yet as most of the
leaderships because of their mind set up still to be friendly with IT situations. Flow of youth in leadership is
still very poor. Even then the sector is now thinking for introducing the technology but the effort is not a
collective one. Individual organizational efforts undertaken, which is yet to bring a effective change.
Major issues concerning the introduction
1. To ensure an information flow within the organisation;
2. Networking among and between the organisations;
3. Ensure a better media relation;
4. Cope with the challenging world of work;
5. Ensure self fitness with the present changing world.
Current Priorities
1. Trained manpower
2. Infrastructure Development support
3. Awareness raising activities highlighting the importance of IT
Conclusion
Most of the federations are financially weak and don’t have in-house development programmes for the
activists. Due to lack of capacity and resources the trade unions are unable to provide necessary services
to their members. Education level of the workers are not in a satisfactory level. But the activists have all
desire to overcome the situation.
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Appendix-I
Organisational Structure of
BANGLADESH JATIYATABADI SRAMIK DAL – BJSD
28/1, Naya paltan, Dhaka -1000 Tel: 8351929 Fax: 8318687
Central Council *
Central Executive Committee**
National Standing Committees
(Women, Youth, Human and TU
Rights, Rural workers, Informal Sector,
Organising the Unorganised, Labour
Law, Wages and Productivity etc.
Craft/Indl.
Federations
Zonal Area
Committee
Divisional Committees
District/Zonal
Committee
Thana/Area
Committee
Word/Local
Committee
Affiliated Unions
Branch Committees
* Comprised of the Councilors nominated by Basic Unions, Craft/Indl. Federations,
Divisional, District, Zonal, Thana/Area Committees.
- All elected Office Bearers and Members of the outgoing Central Executive Committee
are also entitled to participate the Central Council as Councilors.
** Elected by the Central Council.
Shows the route of command and representation
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