All news: Bangladesh
Creating Change, One Story at a Time
Bumi’s baskets don’t break and neither does her spirit
Bamboo shavings scatter across the floor as Bumi Rakhaine bends over her work, each cut and each weave shaping not just a basket, but a future she dares to dream of. Bumi, who lived in South Chaowfaldandi of Cox’s Bazar, is a mother, a wife, and...
Creating Change, One Story at a Time
From stigma to self-reliance: how skills training is blazing new trails for women in Cox’s Bazar
Funded by Global Affairs Canada, the ILO's "Leaving No One Behind" project in Cox’s Bazar equips young women and men with market-relevant, competency-based skills that support decent and sustainable livelihoods.
Creating Change, One Story at a Time
Country Director Designate sees endless possibilities despite complexities of humanitarian-development operations
In the coastal district of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, women and youth are gaining the skills they need to build brighter futures. The Country Director Designate for the ILO Office in Bangladesh, Max Tunon, visited project activities to see how skills...
Fair recruitment
Migrant worker recruitment malpractices persist in Bangladesh as Government strives for fairness, accountability
Aligning Bangladesh's labour migration governance with relevant ILO conventions and the General Principles and Operational Guidelines for Fair Recruitment and Definition of Recruitment Fees and Costs (2019) would go a long way in countering...
Tourism
Community-based tourism in Jaflong: creating jobs and nurturing nature
The ILO, in collaboration with the Bangladesh Tourism Board, has helped launch a community-based tourism (CBT) model in Jaflong that welcomes visitors to experience the vibrant Khasi cultural heritage while ensuring community ownership and equitable...
Creating change, one story at a time
From muddy paths to mountain views: The human face of Himchari’s tourism
Just a few months ago, the road to Himchari waterfall was little more than a rough track - muddy and lined with neglected broken stalls. But step into Himchari Bazar today, and you will find clearer all-weather roads, public toilets, information...
Social security
First beneficiaries of Bangladesh’s pilot employment injury scheme from export processing zones notified
Workers in Bangladesh's export processing zones begin to benefit from employment injury compensation, a key social security measure that guarantees income security for other workers and their families in the country's export-oriented ready-made...
South Asian trade union youth leaders unite for safer and healthier workplaces
Young trade union leaders from across South Asia have pledged a joint action on occupational safety and health (OSH) at a regional ILO-ACTRAV conference
Tourism
Tourism ludo: Turning boardgame into pathways for jobs and discovery
With support from the ILO’s ProGRESS project, funded by the Government of Canada, Bangladesh Tourism Board (BTB) is strengthening Bangladesh’s tourism sector by promoting destinations, supporting policy initiatives, and building the skills of those...
Blog
From Bangladesh to Bangkok: journey with ILO to labour research conference
As Bangladesh navigates alignment of its labour laws to international standards, the demand for greater public awareness and stronger advocacy has never been greater. This is where lessons can be learnt from global networks.
International Labour Review Blog
Can local industrial relations improve working conditions in global supply chains?
Based on research recently published in the International Labour Review, this blog draws on data from the Better Work programme in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Haiti, Indonesia, Jordan, Nicaragua and Viet Nam to show how unions and collective bargaining...
World Youth Skills Day
No time to wait: Bangladesh must upskill its youth today
This Op-Ed by Pedro Jr Bellen, Officer-In-Charge in ILO Bangladesh was published by The Business Standard, one of the leading English newspapers in Bangladesh on 15 July 2025 to mark the World Youth Skills Day.
Our impact, Their story
Skills that transformed my life and others
Bijly Baroi turned her passion for caregiving into a profession—and then into a platform to inspire others. With support from the ILO’s ProGRESS project and Unicare Health and Technical Training Institute, she went from trainee to trainer at a...
Partnership
ILO and Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics partner to strengthen labour market insights
The International Labour Organization (ILO) has signed an Implementation Agreement with the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) to conduct the Labour Demand Survey 2025 and the Wage Survey 2025. This 12-month initiative, running from July 2025 to...
Creating Change, One Story at a Time
They call me a Rohingya refugee, but I’m also an entrepreneur
In the heart of a refugee camp, Saida’s kitchen is becoming a symbol of resilience. She’s one of 250 Rohingya women turning tradition into entrepreneurship through food processing training under the ISEC project. Each jar tells a story of survival,...
Creating Change, One Story at a Time
Polio slowed my walk, not my will: Breaking limits, one phone at a time
Polio didn’t stop Arafath. Trained under the ISEC project, he turned his passion for electronics into a career, transforming his disability into a strength and a job into a mission to support his family and inspire others.
Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) Day 2025
Policymakers and business associations call for clear SME definitions, formalization and inclusive finance in Bangladesh
On 30 June 2025, government officials, entrepreneurs, economists, and development partners met to discuss a new SME policy for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). They highlighted the urgent need to clarify definition of SMEs and to establish a...
Creating Change, One Story at a Time
The school that built hope on an island
A remote school surrounded by the sea in Cox’s Bazar is now offering certified training in trades like masonry, plumbing and electrical work. This helps keep opportunities close to home, empowering young people to build careers and strengthen their...
Creating Change, One Story at a Time
From scorched fields to fair wages: National consultation sparks hope for Cox’s Bazar workers
Bangladesh’s salt farmers face scorching conditions and low pay. The ILO-ISEC project is aiming to improve the lives of salt workers by providing fair wages, safer working conditions and stronger rights.
Our impact, Their story
Weaving dreams and dignity: My path from heritage to entrepreneurship
Suranjana Singha, a social science graduate from the Manipuri ethnic community in Moulvibazar, Bangladesh, turned a lifelong cultural tradition into a thriving social enterprise. After losing her job during the COVID-19 pandemic, she founded her own...
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