Ministry of Labour and Employment

ministry · verified (verified 2026-05-17)

Profile

Head: Ariful Haque Chowdhury
Role: Minister
Annual budget: —
Staff: —
Established: 1972
Legal basis: Constitution of Bangladesh, Article 55; Rules of Business 1996; Bangladesh Labour Act 2006 (as amended 2026)

Overseeing implementation of the Bangladesh Labour (Amendment) Act 2026 -- the most significant labour law reform in decades -- while pursuing ILO roadmap compliance, managing ongoing RMG wage discontent (Tk 12,500 minimum vs. worker demand of Tk 23,000-25,000), and expanding overseas labour market access under a dual-ministry portfolio.

Recent activity

2026-02-17 appointment Ariful Haque Chowdhury (BNP, Sylhet-4, elected with 188,346 votes on 12 Feb 2026) sworn in as dual-portfolio Minister: Labour and Employment + Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, in the BNP-led cabinet under PM Tarique Rahman. ↗↗↗
2026-02-18 policy Minister announced a 100-day action plan targeting labour welfare strengthening, improved industrial relations, enhanced workplace safety, and effective implementation of labour laws; instructed officials to prepare a six-month priority task list aligned with the government's election manifesto. ↗↗
2026-03-15 international ILO Country Director for Bangladesh Max Tunon met Minister Ariful Haque at the Ministry Secretariat; Tunon confirmed the ILO had reviewed the government's 180-day action plan and was committed to joint implementation, stressing stakeholder consultations during law rollout. ↗↗
2026-03-27 international Minister led the Bangladesh delegation to the 356th ILO Governing Body session in Geneva (23 Mar - 4 Apr 2026); held bilateral meeting with ILO Director-General Gilbert Houngbo, who pledged continued ILO support for employment generation; EU welcomed Bangladesh's progress report on the ILO Labour Roadmap (2021-2026) and acknowledged ratification of ILO Conventions 155, 187, and 190. ↗↗↗↗
2026-04-09 legal National Parliament unanimously passed the Bangladesh Labour (Amendment) Bill 2026, converting the 2025 interim-government ordinance into permanent law. Key changes: trade union formation threshold reduced to 20 workers; maternity leave extended from 112 to 120 days; festival holidays raised from 11 to 13 days; domestic workers, agricultural workers, and seafarers brought under legal coverage; sexual harassment defined and complaint committees mandated; Workplace Accident Compensation Fund and Alternative Dispute Resolution Authority created; blacklisting of workers criminalised. Aligned with ILO Conventions 87 and 98 and US GSP-Plus reform conditions. ↗↗↗↗
2026-04-22 statement Minister met BGMEA and BKMEA presidents in Gazipur and directed factory owners to settle workers' wages and Eid-ul-Azha bonuses within stipulated deadlines; also instructed authorities to maintain law and order in industrial zones during the holiday period. ↗
2026-05-01 statement On May Day, Minister reiterated commitment to tripartite cooperation (government, employers, workers) as the primary mechanism for resolving labour disputes; stated government aims to generate 30 million new jobs by 2030 via a new Directorate of Employment. ↗↗↗

Provenance & notes

Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury holds a dual portfolio: Labour and Employment + Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment; both under one minister since 17 Feb 2026. Ministry established 20 January 1972. RMG sector minimum wage is Tk 12,500/month (set Dec 2023), with a 9% annual increment mechanism; next five-year statutory revision due ~2028; ILO roadmap annual review of the wage mechanism remains pending as of May 2026. Annual budget figure for Labour Ministry (Grant No. 28) could not be verified from an accessible primary source at this time; field left null rather than estimate. Verification based on 2+ primary sources for all named events and personnel data.

Ministry of Labour and Employment

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