The Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association has called for revisions to the country’s recently amended labour law, citing inconsistencies between prior stakeholder discussions and the final gazette.
At a press briefing in Dhaka, BKMEA President Mohammad Hatem stated that key decisions made during the Tripartite Consultative Council meetings were not reflected in the final version of the law.
One major concern is the classification of officers and executives as workers, which was not part of earlier agreements. The association also raised objections to provisions related to the Progoti Universal Insurance Scheme.
According to BKMEA, the TCC had agreed that adopting the scheme would serve as a provident fund. However, the final gazette requires workers to apply individually, potentially forcing factories to maintain separate provident funds—leading to higher costs and administrative burdens.
The association further criticized the provision granting workers eligibility for provident funds from the first day of employment, instead of after a minimum service period of two to three years.
BKMEA urged the government to revise these issues before placing the amended law before parliament. The labour law was introduced through an ordinance during the previous interim government, partly in response to pressure from global bodies such as the European Union and the International Labour Organization.
