A consultation meeting titled “Inclusive Economic Growth and Employment: Position Paper for BILS and Trade Unions” organised by BILS-DTDA (Former LO-FTF) Project was held on July 27, 2019 at BILS Seminar Hall.

The objective of the meeting was to collect opinion on preparing a Trade Union position paper for achieving inclusive economic growth as per present national development structure, in a view to create more employment for the workers. BILS recently conducted a study on this issue, which was shared at the meeting in a nutshell for getting recommendations from Trade Union leaders, academicians, government and nongovernment organisations officials and civil society representatives.

The meeting was chaired by BILS Vice Chairman Md. Mojibur Rahman Bhuiyan, while Joint Secretary General and Executive Director Md. Zafrul Hasan delivered welcome address. BILS Advisory Council Member Shah Mohd. Abu Zafar was present at the meeting as Moderator. The concept note was presented by IPF Consultant Muhammad Aminul Islam and PPRC Research Fellow Mohammad Abdul Wazed.

The speakers opined, Trade Unions should be prioritised in line with present situation, where Neoliberal Capitalism exists and in this case democracy of Trade Union and organising informal sector are key factors to address forthcoming challenges. They mentioned, national and international development agendas like SDG, Vision-20121, FYP’s impact should be addressed through prioritisation, consolidation and research based arguments and advocacy. Policy intervention to address these challenges will be a BILS issue, they added.

Among others, BILS Advisory Council Member Mesbahuddin Ahmed and Shahidullah Chowdhury, BILS Vice Chairman Anwar Hossain, Secretary Abdul Kader Hawlader and  Abul Kalam Azad, Professor of Sociology Department of University of Dhaka Dr. Monirul Islam Khan,  Chairmen of Sociology Department of Jagannath University Professor Dr. Rezaul Karim, Assistant Professor of the Department of Social Welfare at Jagannath University Mostafiz Ahmed were present and discussed at the meeting.