DHAKA, March 31, 2022 (BSS) - The Bangladesh government, employers and 
workers' organizations will work together with the International Labour 
Organization (ILO) until 2026 to achieve the goal of engaging more women and 
men in decent and productive jobs in Bangladesh.
 
To achieve the goal, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) titled the fourth 
Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP) for Bangladesh was signed today at a 
function at Radisson Blu in the city, said a press release here.

As per the programme, the target will be attained by improving strategic 
policy and institutional frameworks and building capacities for inclusive, 
equitable and sustainable economic development and ensuring decent work and 
social protection for all.

In the presence of Begum Monnujan Sufian, MP, State Minister of Labour and 
Employment, Md Ehsan-E- Elahi, Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and 
Employment, Mesbah Uddin Ahmed, Chairman of the National Coordination 
Committee on Workers Education (NCCWE), Ardashir Kabir, President of the 
Bangladesh Employers Federation (BEF) and Tuomo Poutiainen, Country Director 
of ILO Bangladesh signed the MoU. 

Md Kamal Hossain, Secretary of the Technical and Madrasah Education Division, 
Ministry of Education, Nahid MonjuraAfroj, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of 
Women and Children Affairs, Md Jashim Uddin, President of the Federation of 
Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FBCCI) and Md Shahidul Alam 
Director-General of the Bureau of Manpower, Employer and Training (BMET) were 
also present at the function.
 
Speaking at the function, Monnujan said, "The new DWCP has had to consider 
several crucial developments such as climate change, the impact of the Covid-
19 pandemic, employment changes as a result of the 4th Industrial Revolution 
and a continuously changing economic and employment landscape". 
 
These ever-evolving challenges require collaborating and focusing on 
sustainable and long-term developments to drive growth and decent work for 
all, she added. 
 
Tuomo Poutiainen stated in his opening remarks that "The decent work country 
program supports Bangladesh in its quest to modernize institution of work and 
provide support for merriment creation and sustainability of businesses".
  
It will particularly focus on inclusiveness of the labour market so that 
youth women persons' with disabilities and other marginalized groups have 
better opportunities to attain productive and decent work, Poutiainen added. 
 
The new DWCP is results-oriented and aligned with Bangladesh's national 
policy documents and global development initiatives such as Bangladesh's 8th 
five-year plan (2021-2025), UN Sustainable Development Goals (2015-2030), and 
United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (2022-2026).
 
The implementation of the DWCP is based on a partnership between the 
government, employers and workers as well as the ILO Country Office.