Employment
2006 Labour Act, with weaker rules inside export zones
The Bangladesh Labour Act 2006 governs contracts, hours, termination and safety. Export processing zones operate under a separate 2019 Act with a workers' welfare association model instead of ordinary trade unions.
Key rules
- Deadline — Provident fund and gratuity settlement within 30 days of termination
- Deadline — Grievance notice to employer within 30 days of the cause
Governing law
- Bangladesh Labour Act, 2006amended 2013, 2018
- Bangladesh EPZ Labour Act, 2019
- Bangladesh Labour Rules, 2015
In practice
Retrenchment requires one month's notice or pay plus thirty days' wages per completed year of service. Registering a union needs support from a proportion of the workforce, and refusals have been a persistent complaint to the ILO. Post-Rana Plaza safety inspection regimes materially changed practice in garment factories, and the minimum wage is set by sector-specific boards rather than nationally.