ISSUES of worker welfare, which have largely been ignored by successive governments, have once again come to the fore with construction workers having pushed for a set of demands. The Building Construction Workers’ Union at a rally in Dhaka on January 18 demanded that the government should ensure fundamental rights of construction workers. The demands include a rationing system, affordable housing, welfare programmes and Tk 15 lakh in compensation in the event of fatality in workplace accidents. The workers say that the demands are in keeping with international labour standards and provide for a comprehensive framework to attend to the problems. Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies data show that 1,259 construction workers died at work in 2012–2023, with 118 fatalities in 2023 alone, which accounts for the second highest sectoral workplace accident fatalities. A Safety and Rights Society report shows that at least 758 workers died in 639 workplace accidents in 2024. The report, drawn from 15 national and 11 local newspapers, says that the highest number of workers who died in workplace accidents, 379 in all, was in the transport sector. The construction sector also remains a critical area of concern, with 92 fatalities. The actual death figure could, however, be higher as many workplace casualties go unreported.
The statistics suggest a chronic neglect of labour rights, as evidenced in Bangladesh’s consistently having been ranked among the 10 worst countries for workers in the Global Rights Index since 2017. Authorities have perpetuated a cycle of negligence and impunity by responding to workplace accidents with superficial measures that leave workers vulnerable. Construction workers are subjected to exploitative conditions with little recourse to justice. Occupational safety and health experts estimate that 90 per cent of workplace accidents are preventable with proper safety regulation enforcement. An absence of such measures, coupled with a failure to hold employers accountable, has allowed such accidents and consequent fatalities to take place. Measures to prevent accidents are important as more than 3.4 million people work in construction sector, often with little to no protection. The situation has resulted from decades of government inaction and requires compliance with labour laws and expeditious trial of cases file over workplace accidents to improve on the situation. Negligent employers should in all means be held to justice and victims and their family should receive adequate compensation. There should also be housing and healthcare and educational facilities for construction workers and their families. The government and other relevant authorities should, therefore, heed the call of the workers and act accordingly.
The government should, therefore, wake up to the reality and take meaningful steps to safeguard the lives and protect the rights of construction workers. Their safety, dignity and well-being should take centre stage in national development agenda. It is time that the government took an effective action for a safe and just work environment for the workers.