In a major step toward improving the rights and working conditions of sanitation, waste, and Ready-Made Garment (RMG) workers WSUP and the Bangladesh FSM Network jointly organized a consultation meeting with the Labor Reform Commission on January 30, 2025, at the Sromo Bhaban Conference Room in Dhaka. The event brought together key organizations, including the founding members of the FSM Network, ITN-BUET, Practical Action, WSUP, and the chairman and members of the Labor Reform Commission.
Mr. Uttam Kumar Saha, Country Manager of WSUP, moderated the discussion. ITN-BUET As a founding member of the FSM Network, played a pivotal role in shaping the discussions. Mr. Alauddin Ahmed, Project Manager at ITN-BUET, delivered a keynote on “Decent Work and Livelihoods for Waste and Sanitation Workers: Challenges to Solutions.” At the event, His presentation outlined the critical issues of sanitation workers such as informal work, inadequate wages, poor working conditions, lack of recognition and lack of safety measures. His insights were invaluable, sparking key conversations about how to address these systemic challenges.
Following Alauddin’s presentation, Tahia Afsah Khan, WASH Engineer at WSUP, presented “Better Hygiene, Better Work: WASH Conditions in RMG Factories,” stressing the importance of improving hygiene standards within the RMG sector to boost worker health and productivity. Her presentation highlighted the need for stronger WASH conditions as part of the broader effort to improve the working environment in Bangladesh’s garment factories. Among others, Mehrab Al Goni, Manager of Advocacy and Partnership at Practical Action, provided an overview of the FSM Network’s initiatives, emphasizing the need to improve the working conditions for sanitation and waste workers in Bangladesh
The session also included an open discussion, where experts and participants from diverse organizations such as Practical Action, WSUP, and DIFE shared their thoughts and recommendations for addressing the challenges faced by sanitation workers and RMG workers. Professor Dr. Rowshan Mamtaz, Director, ITN-BUET made a recommendation for formalizing sanitation workers, improving sanitation workers’ living conditions, ensuring equal pay for female sanitation workers and advocacy for the establishment of policies to support these improvements, as well as the creation of an insurance system to protect sanitation workers from unforeseen risks. Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmed, Chief of the Labor Reform Commission, and Dr. Mahfuzul Haque, Member of the Labor Reform Commission, assured attendees that they would work to implement these critical reforms and drive positive change for sanitation, waste, and RMG workers in the country.
