On Thursday marked the official launch of the "Advancing Decent Work in Bangladesh" project, a collaborative initiative between the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) and the International Labour Organization (ILO).
The project is funded under the Team Europe Initiative on Decent Work in Bangladesh by the European Union, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Sweden. The project aims to support the implementation of the government’s labour sector reform commitments with funding of 24.7 million USD over the next four years.
These reforms support good governance, safeguarding of fundamental principles and rights at work, and sustainable and competitive enterprises – all of which are crucial for Bangladesh's smooth transition from the Least Developed Country (LDC) status in 2026.
"We are committed to playing our part in supporting social justice, in promoting labour reforms in Bangladesh, and securing decent work for men and women in all industries and sectors of the economy," said Freedom Fighter Md. Nazrul Islam Chowdhury, State Minister, Ministry of Labour and Employment.
In his speech, Tuomo Poutiainen, Country Director ILO, highlighted the importance of effective tripartism to support a smooth transition from LDC status in 2026, stating that “fundamental principles and rights at work can only be safeguarded through transparent and consultative processes with workers’ and employers’ organizations”.
Team Europe was represented by Charles Whiteley, Ambassador of the European Union; Alexandra Berg von Linde, Ambassador of Sweden; Anders Karlsen, Head of Cooperation, Embassy of Denmark; and Thijs Woudstra, Head of Cooperation, Embassy of the Netherlands.
Charles Whiteley commended ongoing initiatives by the Government of Bangladesh: “We are eager to support these efforts in creating new success stories in the crucial few years to come – stories of decent work uplifting individuals, strengthening communities, and driving a sustainable economic growth in Bangladesh.”
