Bangladesh Business & Disability Network (BBDN) and Germany’s development agency GIZ on Tuesday outlined a roadmap for expanding disability-inclusive workplaces, showcasing a project that introduced return-to-work systems, strengthened occupational health capacity and supported reforms to protect injured workers.
The programme highlighted the achievements of the Social Protection for Workers in the Textile and Leather Sector (SOSI) project, which promotes decent work, social protection and disability-inclusive employment in Bangladesh’s export-oriented garment and leather industries.
According to BBDN, the SOSI project introduced return-to-work systems to help workers resume employment after injury or illness, developed and updated training modules on return-to-work and occupational disease management, strengthened professional capacity and supported Bangladesh’s Employment Injury Scheme.
It also officially handed over the training modules to the National Occupational Safety, Health Training and Research Institute to help institutionalise the programme nationwide.
The event brought together officials from the Ministry of Labour and Employment, the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE), the Bangladesh Employers’ Federation, BGMEA, BKMEA, the International Labour Organization (ILO), medical professionals, industry representatives and development partners.
Three technical sessions examined gaps between the Bangladesh Labour Act and the Rights and Protection of Persons with Disabilities Act, the use of the Labour Welfare Fund, factory-level implementation of return-to-work programmes and emerging practices in occupational disease management and occupational medicine.
The sessions also featured a documentary, evaluation findings and experience sharing from partner factories, while exploring future career pathways for occupational medicine professionals.
DIFE Inspector General Md Forhad Siddique said stronger collaboration among the government, employers, workers and development partners is essential to improve workplace safety and health.
“For a sustainable society, it is required that we ensure safety in workplaces and systems to return to work after injury and illness,” he said.
The programme concluded with a commitment from government agencies, employers’ organisations, industry associations, development partners and technical experts to build on the SOSI project’s lessons and advance safer, more inclusive and resilient workplaces across Bangladesh.
