Bangladesh exits global worst-workers list after labor reforms

DHAKA, Bangladesh (MNTV) — Bangladesh has, for the first time in nearly a decade, fallen off the list of the world’s 10 worst countries for workers’ rights following a series of labor reforms introduced after the collapse of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government, according to a new global labor rights survey.

The annual Global Rights Index 2026 published by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) said Bangladesh no longer appears among the world’s worst-performing countries despite remaining in the lowest category for worker protections, highlighting both progress and persistent structural problems.

The improvement follows labor reforms introduced under Bangladesh’s interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus after the political transition of 2024. The changes reduced restrictions on forming trade unions, expanded maternity protections and broadened labor coverage for sectors historically excluded from formal protections.

Previously, workers seeking to establish trade unions were required to secure support from at least 20% of a company’s workforce. Under revised rules introduced in late 2025, unions can now be established with support from as few as 20 workers depending on company size, lowering a barrier labor organizations had long criticized.

The reforms also expanded legal protections for domestic workers and agricultural laborers, introduced 120 days of paid maternity leave and brought Bangladesh’s controversial shipbreaking industry under labor regulations.

However, despite those reforms, Bangladesh retained its lowest possible rating of five in the index, placing it among countries categorized as offering “no guarantee of rights.”

The report said workers in countries receiving this rating often possess legal rights on paper but struggle to exercise them because of state repression, weak enforcement mechanisms and employer resistance.

According to the report, authorities in Bangladesh continued suppressing strikes and union activities, particularly in the country’s garment industry, which remains one of the world’s largest manufacturing hubs.

The report highlighted an April 2025 incident in which garment workers protesting unpaid wages and bonuses outside Bangladesh’s Ministry of Labour and Employment faced police intervention involving tear gas, leaving multiple workers injured.

The ITUC also said workers in Bangladesh continue facing barriers to organizing freely, particularly inside special economic zones where restrictions on freedom of association remain.

Labor advocates welcomed Bangladesh’s removal from the global top-10 worst list but warned that legal reforms alone would not solve deeper structural problems.

Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmed, executive director of Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies, described the development as positive but argued that administrative barriers still limit implementation.

He said union registration remains difficult for workers employed in smaller factories because some workplaces still require support from 40% of workers before registration can proceed.

The report paints a broader picture of deteriorating labor conditions globally.

The 2026 index evaluated 152 countries and concluded that workers’ rights are declining across every continent, with half of all countries arresting or detaining workers for union activities.

ITUC General Secretary Luc Triangle said labor rights violations are increasingly spreading beyond authoritarian states and becoming more visible inside democracies.

“The crisis for workers’ rights is no longer confined to the margins — it is now at the heart of democracies,” Triangle said.