A national seminar titled “Recognition and Rights of Domestic Workers: Assessing Care Work and Care Workers’ Rights in Bangladesh” was held on July 14, 2025, at the Asia Hotel in the capital, on the occasion of International Domestic Workers’ Day 2025, organized by BILS. The seminar was addressed by Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmmed, Executive Director of BILS and Chairman of the Labour Reform Commission, Badal Khan, General Secretary of Bangladesher Jatiya Sramik Jote, Naimul Ahsan Jewel, General Secretary of Jatiya Sramik Jote Bangladesh, Abul Kalam Azad, Joint General Secretary of the Bangladesh Trade Union Center, Shakil Akhtar Chowdhury, General Secretary of the Bangladesh Labour Federation, Pulak Ranjan Dhar, Secretary of Bangladesh Free Trade Union Congress, Shahidullah Badal, Acting General Secretary of Bangladesh Mukto Sramik Federation, Abul Hossain, Acting Coordinator of the Domestic Workers’ Rights Network, Salma Akhter, Senior Assistant Secretary (Children and Coordination Division) of the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, Shah Abdul Tariq, Additional Director General of the Department of Labour, Umme Salma, Labour Inspector of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments, and Md. Saidul Islam, Additional General Secretary of Bangladesh Employers’ Federation. In addition, representatives of various social organizations – Karmojibi Nari, Ayat Education, Red Orange, BLAST, Shobujer Ovijan Foundation and Caritas Bangladesh attended the seminar and provided valuable feedback. Domestic worker organizers, youth organizers of the National Trade Union Federation and domestic workers and care workers employed at various levels were present at the seminar.

Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmmed said “Recognition and legal protection are essential. Without these, it will not be possible to ensure the rights of domestic and other workers.”

In the seminar, Senior Program Officer of BILS, Syaduzzaman Mithu, gave a presentation on the current situation of domestic workers in the workplace, legal recognition, rights and activities of the Domestic Workers Rights Network and the newly formed “Care Workers Rights Protection Forum”. Mostafiz Ahmed, Associate Professor of Jagannath University, presented information on a study conducted under the ILO-BILS Carework Project, where he highlighted that the current working conditions of domestic workers are fragile. He also mentioned that domestic workers are still not covered by labour laws and that the policies that exist also have several shortcomings when compared with international standards. He stressed the need to build a national framework to address these gaps. He also stressed the need to change attitudes and behaviors, and the importance of conducting education and awareness programs.

The speakers at the seminar also said that although incidents of torture, murder, and human rights violations against domestic workers have decreased somewhat in recent years, there has been little progress in the legal recognition, fair rights, and dignity of domestic workers. The domestic workers present shared their experiences and said that most of the time they are subjected to psychological torture while working and if they fail to come to work on time, they are subjected to mistreatment by their employers. If they are unable to go to work due to illness, they face salary deductions and layoffs. The speakers also expressed the opinion that only having policies will not bring benefits, and there is no obligation to do so, now it is necessary to formulate a separate law to protect the rights of domestic workers. The National Trade Union Federations leaders have demanded that the government quickly implement the recommendations of the Labour Reform Commission.