National Occupational Safety and Health Day was celebrated in Bangladesh on 28 April 2017. Organised by the Department of Inspections for Factories and Establishments the day saw events held around the country. Meanwhile a march took place through the streets of Dhaka followed by an event presided over by Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed.

National Occupational Safety and Health Day was first celebrated in Bangladesh in 2016 thorugh the support of the ILO’s Improving Working Conditions in the RMG sector programme funded by Canada, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

It has since been included in the list of nationally celebrated days and is now the focal point for year round efforts to build a culture of occupational safety and health.

Speaking at the event, ILO Country Director Srinivas Reddy said, “I congratulate the Government of Bangladesh and the Department of Inspections for Factories and Establishments for the manner in which it has embraced efforts to build a culture of safety. This proactive approach, as manifest through the organisation of this event and the activities around the country is truly commendable.” 

“Good progress has been made in recent years to improve safety in Bangladesh, mainly focussing on the RMG sector. Much however still remains to be done, especially relating to factory remediation. I also encourage the Government and its regulatory agencies to increasingly focus on other key industries such as leather, construction and ship building.  By doing so you will help create a culture of safety that includes all workers.”