Around 2,000 injured workers survived the rana plaza building collapse on april 24, 2013. They live with its aftermath every day alongside families of the 1,135 people killed in the global garment industry's deadliest ever factory accident.

the government, bgmea, unions, and some of the global brands sourcing garments from bangladesh moved quickly to back the rana plaza arrangement to support an ilo-chaired trust fund to facilitate payments to victims -- and key buyers and trade unions established the legally binding accord on fire and building safety in bangladesh to identify safety issues and commit funds to remediate risks (since 2020, the accord's national operations have been undertaken by the rmg sustainability council).

 As time passes, the world at large tends to focus on looking ahead, not remembering the victims. 

Ten years on, a pitifully small plaque erected by a group of workers is all that marks the site of the tragedy. Those charged with murder for forcing workers back inside the building whose safety problems had been sufficiently serious to have received a notice of closure and drawn tv camera crews -- the day before the collapse -- remain untried. 

Timely trials and hopes for convictions might have offered some form of catharsis, but this turned out to be too much to expect. The best on offer seems to be that the industry has made some improvements -- but is that enough? Despite the swift creation and various achievements of the accord and compensation agreements, the business model of the industry is fundamentally the same. The vast bulk of its finances, lucrative jobs, and bargaining power resides with the big brands and retailers of the global north. 

The garment industry is tailor-made for a global race to the bottom. just this month, a survey, carried out by the campaign group transform trade, of 1,000 bangladeshi factories supplying clothes to uk retailers reported widespread instances of payment delays and buyers inevitably use the threat of moving or cancelling orders to bargain hard with suppliers to keep prices down for consumers and the cost of this is, invariably, mainly paid by those making the clothes.

None of this has prevented bangladesh's rmg sector from making significant progress in the decade since the disaster, with exports and market share continuing to grow. Big suppliers have made major investments in more modern factories and bangladesh is a leader in achieving leed green factory certifications. 

Some local factory owners might feel aggrieved then that “made in bangladesh” is still a global byword for cheap. In glass onion, the new daniel craig film, the country's name is used three times as a synonym for “dangerous sweatshop. ” artistically, this is disappointing, as the title holds out the prospect of lots of beatles references so a nod to george harrison would have been smarter than the script's actual laboured pun about one of its characters thinking “sweatshop” means a “factory which makes sweatpants. ”

Economically, however, it is perfectly fair. The country's garment sector relies on its political clout to hold down increases to the industry's minimum wage for years at a time. Low labour costs have long been its key selling point and value-for-money remains its biggest attraction for global brands and consumers. 

A reflection of just how cheap the country's labour costs are can be seen by contrasting the hundreds of millions of dollars big clothing brands spend each year on advertising, with the total amount of compensation -- under $40 million -- received by rana plaza's thousands of victims over the last ten years. 

For bangladesh, it should be a cause for concern as much as celebration that its export growth relies so much on just this one industry. Vietnam's rmg sector is similar in export value to bangladesh but a much smaller fraction of its exports, which total over $300 billion a year, or over $3,000 for each of its 97 million people. 

There are plenty of successful bangladeshi manufacturing companies in different sectors such as pharmaceuticals and consumer goods, but their share of total exports is tiny. It is a strategic risk, as well as a missed opportunity, for the nation to put all its eggs in one improving the quality of education and skills training is imperative to help diversify and grow exports. While the government recognizes this, it will be hard to achieve while bangladesh spends less than 1. 5% of gdp on public education, compared to the over 4% by the likes of malaysia and vietnam. 

As the 10th anniversary of rana plaza approaches, we can expect its victims to receive more of the attention they deserve, and hopefully more fundraising. To truly ensure “never again,” however, the country needs to invest to improve education standards to fulfil its economic potential and go beyond the low-wage paradigm which made human life so cheap in the first place. 

A brand new look for our RMG sector 

The RMG sector still holds a lot of potential for future growth and sustainability .  Bangladesh's current economic standing was built on the backs of .  our industry, and, perhaps more than most, the brunt of that .  achievement can be chalked up to our RMG sector. .
The RMG sector has long shed the dark days of the Rana Plaza .  disaster and has come close to achieving stability, and although .  mounting global economic distress has indubitably put pressure on .  the industry, it still stands unwavering. .  But the question always remains: How can we make the industry not .  only more resilient but have that resilience be sustainable as well? .  
To that end, a recent discussion held by the numerous layers of .  stakeholders within the industry might help it inch closer to an .  answer. Under the theme “partnership and inclusion for sustainable .  growth,” the discussion was organized by the Better Work .  Bangladesh (BWB) program -- a collaboration between th.  One of the key points raised in the discussion was the need for open .  dialogue between management and employees in order to promote a .  healthy working environment that is fair and free from abuse, two .  elements which have historically not been ensured within the RMG .  industry. .  Ensuring worker rights is of paramount importance for any industry, .  more so for an industry that is considered the primary driving force .  of our economy. The fact that the well-being of RMG employees was .  
Not only included but also highlighted in these talks is what gives us .  some genuine reason for hope. .  Of course, “sustainability” is a broad term, and in the age of climate .  change accelerated by rapid industrialization any discussion which .  does not broach the subject means very little. On that front, we hope .  that the RMG leaders and regulators would see fit to hold specialized .  forums on how we can truly make the sector as green as it can be in .  both the short and long terms. .  Despite its massive contributions to our economy, the RMG sector .  still holds a lot of potential for future growth and sustainability, not .  just in terms of business but its impact on the environment as well. .  We just need to unlock that potential. . 

কর্মস্থলে নিরাপত্তা, স্বাস্থ্যসম্মত কর্মপরিবেশ, পেনশন স্কিম বাস্তবায়ন, রেশনিং ব্যবস্থা, শ্রমিককল্যাণ ফাউন্ডেশনে প্রতি মাসে সভাসহ ১২ দাবিতে মানববন্ধন ও সমাবেশ করেছে ইমারত নির্মাণ শ্রমিক ইউনিয়ন বাংলাদেশ (ইনসাফ)।

বুধবার (১৮ জানুয়ারি) জাতীয় প্রেস ক্লাবের সামনে ‘১৮ জানুয়ারি নির্মাণ শ্রমিকের দাবি দিবসে’র দাবিতে মানববন্ধন ও সমাবেশে করেছে সংগঠনটি। মানববন্ধনে উপস্থিত ছিলেন ইনসাফের সভাপতি রবিউল ইসলাম, সাধারণ সম্পাদক আব্দুর রাজ্জাক, দপ্তর সম্পাদক সাহিদা পারভীন শিখা প্রমুখ। 

মানববন্ধনে ঢাকা, নারায়ণগঞ্জসহ অন্য জেলার শ্রমিকরা অংশ নেন। এ সময় শ্রমিকরা তাদের জীবনের নিরাপত্তা ও ন্যূনতম মজুরি এবং বাংলাদেশ শ্রমিককল্যাণ ফাউন্ডেশনের নীতিগুলো বাস্তবায়নের দাবি জানান।

রবিউল ইসলাম উল্লেখ করেন, মৃত্যুর পর শ্রমিকদের পরিবার অন্ধকারে নিমজ্জিত হয়। এ ব্যাপারে শ্রম আইনেরও বাস্তবায়ন চান তারা।

This week inBangladesh...
Bangladesh retains its modestly improved status in the annual Trafficking in Persons Report. A local legal advisory group blasts labour courts for taking too long to resolve simple worker compensation cases. We learn about Dhaka Bank’s contribution to the financial inclusion agenda. And Bangladesh Abstains from voting for the United Nations resolution on Myanmar Bangladesh retains its modestly improved status in the annual Trafficking in Persons Report. A local legal advisory group blasts labour courts for taking too long to resolve simple worker compensation cases. We learn about Dhaka Bank’s contribution to the financial inclusion agenda. And Bangladesh Abstains from voting for the United Nations resolution on Myanmar
Labour courts< https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/labour-courts-hassles-outweigh-remedy-they-give-2122289> in Bangladesh take an average of 601 days to ettle a workplace compensation dispute.
And the labour court of Chattogram (formerly Chittagong) takes even three and a half years to settle a case! A dispute typically occurs when an employer fails to compensate for an injury or death as required by law.
The Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust studied 80 court cases and found: The Bangladesh Labour Act relies too heavily on willingness rather than ability of employers to pay compensation to claimants. The amounts involved are very small: between 200,000 and 250,000 Taka ($2,360 to $2,950).
Trafficking in Persons Report released

After < https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/human-
trafficking-bangladesh-still-tier-2-us-report-2122945> being on the Tier 2 Watch List from 2017 to 2019 Bangladesh retains its improved Tier 2 status – gained in 2020 – according to this year’s 2021 Trafficking in Persons Report < https://www.state.gov/wp-
content/uploads/2021/07/TIP_Report_Final_20210701.pdf> .

The US Department of State publishes the Trafficking in Persons Report every year. The report assesses a country’s efforts to combat human trafficking.
A brew about wages
Did you know that the authorised daily wage of a tea picker in Bangladesh is just 120 Taka ($1.40)?
If you add non-cash benefits like food then the equivalent wage is 200 Taka ($2.35).
But employers have a different calculation. They add other benefits including employers’ pension contribution. And they come up with 403 Taka ($4.74) or about 8000 Taka per month.
These differences have been compounded by changes in the way annual increases are made < https://www.thedailystar.net/opinion/news/autopsy-the-tea-
workers-bizarre-wage-structure-2122241> .
Business, Trade and the Economy
The Word Trade Organization extended the deadline < https://epaper.thedailystar.net/Home/ArticleView? eid=1&edate=05/07/2021&pgid=31141> for Least Developed Countries to comply with international obligations designed to protect Trade Related International Property Rights.
This is known as the TRIPS <
https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/trips_e/trips_e.htm> Agreement.
This is the third time extension for Least Developed Countries and runs to 2034. But the Word Trade Organization did not agree to a separate request for a 12-year transition period. This transition period would grant the exemption to countries graduating from least developed status for a further 12 years.
Bangladesh met the criteria to graduate from least developed status in 2018 and will likely graduate in 2024.
Financial Services for the Poor

We only open sub-branches in the remotest parts of the country where people are yet to be brought under the formal financial umbrella. This will help expedite the financial inclusion agenda.
-Emranul Haq, Managing Director - Dhaka Bank Ltd
Dhaka Bank < https://epaper.thedailystar.net/Home/ShareArticle?
OrgId=5753b22203&imageview=1> is winning praise for its technological innovations linked to its SME loans and retail banking.

By 2025 the bank expects 40 per cent of its outstanding loan amount to consist of loans to SMEs and retail customers.
It uses innovative software automation to speed up and lower the cost of loan approvals and transactions.

Last week < https://quayasia.com/2021/07/02/more-social-security-for-the- unemployed/#.YOgdMZMzbBU> experts urged banks to support cottage, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.
It looks like Dhaka Bank is meeting the needs of small businesses.

Covid Headlines
Covid tests free of cost for July only at all public laboratories Bangladesh has 128 RT-PCR test machines. 89 are in Dhaka. Currently about three quarters of Covid fatalities are outside Dhaka. Vaccine registration now open for frontline police, medical students, and residential university students 2.5 million Moderna doses arrived through Covax and 2 million Sinopharm arrived from China.

Othernews
Bangladesh abstained from voting for the UN General Assembly resolution on Myanmar < https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/news- analysis-un-resolution-myanmar-dhaka-treads-razor-edge-2122265> .

The resolution condemns the February coup and calls for a restoration of democracy. The failure of the international community in addressing the [Rohingya] crisis creates a sense of impunity in Myanmar. Rabab Fatima, Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Bangladesh abstained because the resolutions did not address the Rohingya crisis. In 2017 over 700,000 ethnic Rohingya’s fled across the border from Myanmar into Bangladesh.
Bangladesh wanted the international community to recognise the Rohingya issue in the resolution. The resolution could have addressed the conditions required for the return of the Rohingya from Bangladesh to Myanmar.

Farmers and Agriculture
A variety of Mango – fazli – is selling at less than half price compared < https://www.thedailystar.net/business/economy/industries/news/mango-farmers-hopes-shattered-2122405> to last year.

The Government’s Department of Agricultural marketing had earlier assured farmers that transport of agricultural produce would continue despite the frequent lockdowns announced to control the pandemic.
In addition to ensuring that government farmers’ markets would remain open, online markets have also been set up. But most buyers and sellers are not using the online markets.

My fellow columnist, Shuprova Tasneem, was recently lamenting the lack of fair wages and workplace safety in Bangladesh. In an op-ed in The Daily Star, she ruefully asked, "Why is the dream for fair wages and work safety still so distant?" (October 20, 2021). It is clear that while we, as journalists, have been crying hoarse over the slow progress in these critical areas of the workplace environment, nobody in the government or administration is apparently paying much attention.

After I read her essay and went over my own notes, I discovered that since January 2005, when a fire at a garment factory outside Dhaka killed 22 people and injured more than 50, much has been written in the popular media about industrial accidents, low wages, risks of injuries, and a number of other topics of vital interest to  our workers.

Another concern that has recently received some press coverage is the need to compensate for deaths and loss of jobs due to the negligence of factory owners and motor vehicle operators. The High Court in September stepped in and issued a rule over the formation of a financial assistance fund, and a board of trustees to compensate road accident victims or their families. The court asked the concerned authorities to show cause within four weeks as to why they ought not to be directed to form the fund and appoint the trustees immediately, as per sections 53 and 54 of the Road Transport Act 2018. 

In the past, civil rights activists and transport system experts have urged the government to ensure that victims of road accidents are adequately compensated by insurance companies or negligent parties. By and large, whether it is because of road accidents, poorly built factories, bad management practices, or faulty products, countless helpless people are hurt or killed every day, and all these are preventable to a certain degree. 

Occupational safety and health practices are somewhat lax in developing countries. Across the globe, we hear about death and injuries at the workplace. As for Bangladesh, our reputation as a trusted source for garments, plastics products and a myriad of other consumer goods is taking a hit because of various factors that make us vulnerable. According to the Associated Press, Bangladesh  "has a tragic history of industrial disasters, including factories catching fire with the workers locked inside. Continuing corruption and lax enforcement have resulted in many deaths over the years." 

Economic growth is like a two-edged sword. Bangladesh is making good progress towards achieving middle-income status next decade, but rapid growth brings with it many unanticipated risks, including injuries and death, health damages, and other human costs. Since the Rana Plaza collapse in 2013, world attention has been directed to improving working conditions, and things have changed significantly. However, hardly a month goes by without another incident of mass casualties due to fire, building collapse, serious injuries at work, or other triggers for enhanced mortality and morbidity (i.e., sickness). 

The most recent serious industrial accident reported in the national media was the fire at the Hashem Food and Beverage factory in Rupganj on July 8. Fifty-two people were killed and another 50 were injured. In August, another fire, this time at the Singer factory in Savar, not only injured 20 people but also brought about financial losses to other businesses as commercial traffic around the site came to a standstill. 

Workers are frequently hurt and maimed, or in the worst-case, die due to negligence of the owners who are driven by the profit motive. However, the tragedy is compounded further when the victims are either not compensated adequately or left to fend for themselves to defray the cost of medical care. Exactly 12 years ago, I brought up these issues in this newspaper and spoke out strongly for a system that would allow workers to be compensated for their losses. In an op-ed titled, "How much is a human life worth?" I argued that human life should be valued in decision-making since the matter is of "enormous importance in the context of environmental and medical policy" (The Daily Star, October 24, 2009).

Many factors account for the prevalence of occupational hazards, including lack of a strict regulatory framework, poor enforcement, shortage of inspectors, and absence of oversight. During his recent 

visit to Boston, where I met him, the President of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FBCCI) pointed out that garment factories often work with low profit margins that do not allow for the owners to comply with all the rules and regulations in the books. 

Another matter that demands urgent attention is the frequent delays in providing compensation to the victims of accidents. Taqbir Huda, who is a coordinator of Justice For All Now (JANO, Bangladesh) wrote that the investigation into the Hashem Foods factory fire accident revealed that the deaths were determined to be "murder caused by negligence", but the victims were given a measly Tk 2 lakh for each family. In an article titled, "Three months after the Hashem factory fire, has there been any 'justice'?" Huda strongly condemns the ploy used by the Sajeeb Group, the owner of the factory, to extract a signed declaration from the victims' families that prohibits the latter from suing the former in a criminal case (The Daily Star, October 8, 2021). 

While I am writing about compensation and the value of human life, I would like to raise the awareness of the readers by showcasing the Boeing case. A total of 346 people lost their lives in two air disasters due to Boeing Company's negligence in manufacturing and training for its 737 MAX aircraft. A Lion Air 737 jet crashed off the coast of Indonesia on October 28, 2018. Another 737 belonging to Ethiopian Airlines crashed shortly after take-off from Addis Ababa on March 19, 2019. 

In both instances, the US government and the investigative arms of the respective airlines pinned the blame on Boeing and its faulty flight-control system known as MCAS. In terms of offering compensation to the victims of the two air disasters, Boeing has accepted responsibility and had been in talks for almost three

years with all parties, particularly the victims' families, over the amount of money. An interesting aspect of this case is that Boeing is facing additional lawsuits for the Ethiopian case since lawyers contend that the aircraft manufacturer knew right after the Lion Air 2018 crash that the malfunctioning MCAS system was the cause of the crash. The company is not only facing charges for the lax oversight of the design, production, and certification of the MAX, but also its failure to ground the aircraft after the first crash. 

Boeing originally offered to pay USD 100 million to the victims' families which works out to be less than USD 300,000 per victim. That would have been the end of the story if not for the efforts of families of victims with US citizenship who raised a hue and cry over this sum. Boeing's hands were forced and while the amount of compensation paid to each individual victim is not known, in each case it is over USD 1.45 million. In addition, none of the families waived their right to further sue the Boeing Company. 

Dr Abdullah Shibli is an economist and a consultant in information technology. He is also Senior Research Fellow, International Sustainable Development Institute (ISDI), a think tank in Boston, USA.

The government is planning to widen the coverage of social safety net for the marginalised and vulnerable people as the Covid-induced loss of income and livelihood might push more people into poverty. 

To tackle the situation the government is planning to allocate Tk 372.35 billion in FY 2023-24 in social safety net and welfare sector and Tk 344.07 billion in FY 2022-23 

The allocation in this sector in the running FY2021-22 is Tk 343.19, according to an official document. 

The allocation was Tk 295.58 billion in the revised budget of 2020-21 fiscal while Tk 240.86 billion and Tk 239.20 billion in 2019-20 fiscal and 2018-19 fiscal respectively. 

Social welfare ministry, women and children affairs ministry, liberation war affairs ministry, food ministry and disaster management and relief ministry are responsible to implement social safety linked programmes. 

One of the responsibilities of the social welfare ministry is to distribute various social transfers and social security services among people to eradicate poverty and extreme poverty, it said.

‘This is considered as an effective tool to ensure inclusive growth, and to achieve that the government has taken the social safety net programme as one of the priority activities,’ said the document. 

The government has achieved tremendous success in reducing poverty and extreme poverty over the years, according to the document. 

It has reduced the poverty and extreme poverty rates to 20.5 per cent and 10.5 per cent respectively in 2018-19 fiscal from 40 per cent and 25.1 per cent respectively in fiscal 2005-06. 

At present, as much as 25 million people are getting financial assistance under various social safety net programmes. 

The government has increased the allocation as well as coverage of social safety net benefits to tackle the adverse impact of the pandemic on the poor, said the document. 

For example, the Old Age Allowances and the Allowances for Widows and Women deserted by husbands was expanded under the stimulus packages in 2020-21 fiscal to cover all eligible persons in 112 poorest upazilas of the county. 

In the medium term, the document said, these two programmes will be further expanded to cover 150 more poorest upazilas, and the process has begun in the running 2021-22 fiscal. 

The government has a plan to bring all beneficiaries under the G2P (government to person) system for ensuring accountability and transparency. The government has made a target to bring one crore beneficiaries under this G2P by this running 2021-22 fiscal. 

The ministry of social welfare has set a priority for continuation of the provision of social security benefits in the areas of old age allowance, widows and deserted women allowances, disability allowances, and stipend for disabled students, as per the official document. 

It also provided allocations for bedeys (nomads) and other marginal groups, transgender, tea garden workers, and patients suffering from cancer, kidney disease, lever cirrhosis, paralysis due to stroke, and congenital heart disease. 

It has made provisions for rehabilitation of people with autism, disability and suffering acid burns, created autism resource centres, and established 11 schools for children with autism. 

To ensure children’s welfare, the ministry has drafted the Child Day Care Act 2021 that has been submitted to parliament for enactment. The government has established child day care centres to

The liberation war affairs ministry is working to improve the socioeconomic status of the freedom fighters and ensure their welfare by raising their honorarium to Tk 20,000 from Tk 12000 in the current fiscal. 

The government is trying to alleviate poverty by providing training to farmers, facilitating agricultural loan and supplying irrigation and other modern agricultural machinery to them. 

The official document said that interest free micro-loans of Tk 5000 to Tk 30,000 per family are being distributed to the extreme poor of villages through Rural Social Service activities, Rural Maternal Centre activities, rehabilitation of burnt and disabled persons, and urban development programmes. 

The ministry of disaster management and relief focuses on reducing the risks to the poor and disadvantages people due to natural, environmental and human induced hazards. In the medium term, the ministry will continue its existing programmes like EGPP, VGF, Kabita, TR, GR, etc. 

Other priorities will include-building multipurpose cyclone shelters, disaster resilient building and flood shelters, construction of houses for the ultra poor, and construction of Mujib Killas and bridges/culverts to combat disasters. 

During the Covid pandemic, the ministry has implemented a direct cash transfer programme to targeted households of 35 lakh families with Tk 2500 for each families. 

Considering the loss of income during the second wave of the pandemic last year, the second round of the direct cash transfer programme to the same beneficiaries has already been rolled out. 

It will complete by end of this fiscal 2021-22, the document said. 

In the upcoming national budget, Bangladesh needs to prioritise urban social protection, expansion of open market sales schemes and a shock-responsive urban social safety system to address climate crisis. Covid-19 has forced Bangladesh to take a long hard look at its urban poverty situation and the fragmented social protection system that failed city residents. As Bangladesh focused on countering the impacts, especially in low-income urban communities, the measures were often temporary and difficult to administer. Now, the challenges are growing even as the economy recovers and the country navigates a path towards a post-Covid recovery phase.

Urban areas were already emerging as the new poverty frontier when the crisis worsened due to the pandemic. And the knock-on effects on unemployment,
incomes and food insecurity have already been widely documented.
Among key issues, general inflation (point-to-point) has notably risen to 6.22% in March 2022 compared to 5.47% a year back. Non-food inflation drove the general trend in recent months with transport, clothing, furniture, and furnishings incurring price hikes. A spike in food inflation since February 2022 is now influencing the trend.
These hikes are partly linked to costlier imports of energy and essential commodities driven by Covid-induced surges in global prices and freight costs. Domestic price adjustments for fuel, gas, and transport together with weak market monitoring of essential commodity prices further exacerbated the situation.
Global uncertainty owing to the ongoing Ukraine-Russia crisis, the Covid resurgence in China together with its zero-Covid policy and lockdown and other developments are also impacting global trade and supply chains. This may further affect inflationary trends in Bangladesh. Overall, inflation will likely continue to rise, as per Bangladesh Bank.

As a result, households with low incomes – especially the poorest urban households – who already bore the brunt of Covid-19, are likely having to cope with further diminishing financial power. Lower middle-income households may also be faced with food insecurity. Keeping all these in consideration, Bangladesh cannot afford to lose sight of social protection (including urban social protection),   especially in the upcoming national budget. Open Market Sales (OMS) schemes in urban areas must be continued and expanded as part of ongoing government efforts.

Beyond these immediate concerns, Bangladesh needs to invest in a shock-responsive urban social protection system that can respond to the country's climate crisis. Bangladesh has already been experiencing rapid urbanisation in stride with economic growth.

At the same time, more frequent and intense climate-induced disasters are displacing rural populations towards urban settings such as Dhaka. Studies estimate, one in every seven people is likely to be displaced by climate change by 2050. Moreover, major coastal cities such as Dhaka and Chattogram may also become less hospitable. According to a 2018 World Bank study on internal climate migration in South Asia, these cities are highly vulnerable to sea level rise, storm surge impacts and heavy flooding. Covid-19 has already exposed faultlines in Bangladesh's urban social protection system. This underscores why investments need to be made now and include cities beyond Dhaka and Chattogram.
Bangladesh already has the blueprint to transition towards such a system – the long-term National Social Security Strategy and action plan. This includes expanding coverage of social assistance and introducing social insurance programmes in urban areas. Some forms of social assistance programmes for children, the elderly and persons with disabilities are already envisioned as part of ongoing reforms.
However, simply extending or duplicating rural social assistance programmes will not address the distinct vulnerabilities of those in urban areas. They face higher living costs, multiple aspects of deprivation and more uncertain employment opportunities.
Social protection reforms that focus on employment policies and on social insurance are also key priorities alongside social safety nets, as emphasised in Bangladesh's 8th Five Year Plan. As noted earlier, the pandemic disproportionately hurt vulnerable urban households. Working adults from such households are likely to be self employed, informally employed or belong to unprotected, low-income formal sectors. They need support to protect their incomes and jobs,especially in crisis contexts. Here, gendered needs of women require serious attention.

Taking note, Bangladesh plans to introduce social insurance schemes (e.g., unemployment insurance schemes) for both formal and informal workers as part of a pilot National Social Insurance System under the National Social Security Strategy. However, the benefits are more likely to accrue to formally employed workers who can afford to contribute towards investing in their own security compared to those who are working in the informal economy.
Given the new realities and by drawing on international experience, Bangladesh can explore how to introduce and expand affordable social insurance schemes to all working adults that helps reduce their insecurity.
Here, partnerships will be key to designing and implementing such urban-specific, shock-responsive programmes especially during emergencies. Bangladesh can leverage established partnerships between the Local Government Division and development actors working on urban poverty. For example, UNDP's Livelihoods Improvement of Urban Poor Communities Project (LIUPCP) is among the biggest urban poverty reduction initiatives in the country.
Similarly, the role of non-government organisations (NGOs) can be pivotal in piloting small-scale programmes to draw insights into what works for vulnerable urban households. Partnerships with actors in Bangladesh's insurance sector will also be crucial for moving forward.

The social protection allocation in the annual budget has consistently increased over the last 14 years. In FY 2008-09, a total of Tk 13,845 crore was allocated for social protection programmes.This allocation was 14.71 percent of the annual budget and 2.25 percent of the GDP. In the FY 2021-22 budget, Tk 107,614 crore was allocated for social protection programmes. It was 17.83 percent of the annual budget and 3.11 percent of the GDP. However, it has not been possible to cover all eligible people under different social protection programmes despite the sustained increase in budgetary allocations.

The number of households benefiting from social protection programmes in the country went up two and half times, from 12 percent in 2005 to 30 percent in 2020. The number of programmes has also gone up from 77 in FY 2009-10 to 130 in FY 2019-20. It is believed that the increased level of public funding has contributed substantially to poverty reduction in Bangladesh. However, there are still over 10 percent of people categorised as "extreme poor" in the country. This number has gone up since mid-2020, due to the onslaught of the Covid-19 pandemic. But due to paucity of reliable data, it is difficult to estimate the percentage of people living in poverty now. The government undertook cash and food distribution to assist the new poor. These were in addition to the regular social protection programmes which are aimed at reducing the social and economic vulnerabilities of the poor families.

There are about 130 social security projects and programmes in Bangladesh, the majority of which are small in size. Just a dozen of them employ almost 80 percent of the total social security budget.These projects and programmes can be mainly categorised in two different ways: 1. By sectors like health, nutrition, education, and infrastructure development, and 2. By life cycle, such as pregnancy and early age, school age, working age, and old age.

The government, under the leadership of the cabinet division, has developed the second phase of the Action Plan (2021-26) of the National Social Security Strategy (NSSS) to strengthen the overall efficiency and impact of social protection programmes. These programmes need to adopt appropriate targeting mechanisms to include the most deserving benefi-ciaries. Gradually, the government extended the payment of benefits through the Government-to-Person (G2P) system, using mobile financial services, for about 68 percent of total cash transferred. This has cut down corruption and is also cost-effective and time-saving.

After making significant progress on the payment aspect, the government is now focusing on the targeting side of social protection programmes. Identifying the most deserving beneficiaries is a challenge that needs to be resolved urgently for better utilisation of public resources. The government's recent decision of a universal cash transfer approach to improve the coverage of certain safety net programmes is a good one in this regard.

During the past two years, three programmes under the Department of Social Services have expanded coverage and introduced an online self-registration system to 112 poverty-stricken upazilas in 2020-21 and to 150 upazilas in 2021-22. The three programmes are Old Age Allowance, Allowances for the
Widow, Deserted and Destitute Women, and Allowances for the Financially Insolvent Disabled.
Anyone who believes they are eligible for any of these allowances can apply for it through www.mis.bhata.gov.bd. The Social Welfare Officers and upazila, union and paurashava committees verify the information and recommend the enrolment of those eligible into the programmes. The government is planning to cover 100 additional upazilas under this universal approach in FY 2022-23.

These three programmes truly cover the most vulnerable groups in society and the universalisation of coverage was needed to cover all those who deserve to receive benefits. There are definite financial implications of universalisation and, therefore, the government needs to allocate an increased amount of resources for social protection in the 2022-23 budget to cover newer applicants. Historically, in the 262 upazilas where the universal approach has been introduced during the last two years, the number of beneficiaries has increased substantially. The Old Age Allowance covers 5.7 million beneficiaries now across rural and urban areas, which includes about 50 percent of the elderly population of the country. The number increased rapidly from 4.4 million in 2018. The Allowances for Widow, Deserted and Destitute Women currently benefit 2.47 million women, while about one million persons receive disability allowances.

In the future, other major social protection programmes should also adopt the universal approach, and a digital self-registration system should be introduced for improved targeting of beneficiaries.

Bangladesh last year saw passage of the Trade Organisation Bill 2022, the Export Policy 2021-24 becoming effective, creation of a digital database of workers, introduction of the Employment Injury Scheme for garment workers, and formation of a joint committee by three garment industry bodies to expedite export and ensure better supply chain collaboration, writes Dipesh Satapathy.
Let us take a look at the major developments.
Policy
The Trade Organisation Bill, 2022, introduced in January and aimed at allowing foreign traders to form joint trade bodies in Bangladesh, was passed in Parliament in April. It replaced the Trade Organisations Ordinance, 1961. Some legal provisions were included for women entrepreneurs in trade organisations through licensing.

Bangladesh’s Export Policy 2021-24 became effective from March 23, with the highest priority attached to 14 sectors, including denim, man-made fibre, garment accessories, jute, home textiles and shoes, to boost foreign-currency earnings. It has policies to navigate potential challenges following the graduation from the least developed country (LDC) status in 2026, the fourth industrial revolution, research and development activities and coping with the COVID-induced blow to exporting sectors. The government aims annualised export earnings worth $80 billion during the 2021-2024 period.

The Bangladesh Bank in July extended the increased borrowing deadline from the $7-billion Export Development Fund (EDF) for textile millers and readymade garment (RMG) makers to December 31. The disbursement deadline was June 30 earlier. In another notice, it asked banks not to disburse loans from the EDF if clients fail to repay from their export earnings. That was the third such extension.

Last January, the central bank raised the loan limit to $30 million from $25 million to help exporters offset the business slowdown induced by the pandemic.

In June, the government decided to create a digital database of 3 lakh workers from around 10,000 entities from both the formal and informal sectors. The enlisted workers will receive labour identification numbers during the pilot period. The Labour Information Management System will digitally manage labourers’ information and help develop their skills for workplaces.

Germany committed to extend another grant of €191 million to Bangladesh at the latest round of bilateral development cooperation talks in December. The amount now stands at €275.1 million. Since 1972, the overall amount has reached more than €3.2 billion.

Textile & Garments

Bangladesh and Germany signed an agreement in January to support five projects worth €20.15 million, to be jointly implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ) and partner ministries and institutions in Bangladesh. The grant will be used for interventions in the textile sector and for the promotion of e-mobility in Bangladesh. It will also ensure access to clean energy for Bangladeshis.

In the same month, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) and the Bangladesh Garments Accessories and Packaging Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGAPMEA) formed a joint committee to expedite export of apparel items and ensure better supply chain collaboration and mutual benefits. The committee will deal with trade-related issues and settle disputes that arise among garments manufacturers and accessories-packaging suppliers.

In March, the government raised the maximum wastage rate for raw materials used to produce apparel following a strong disagreement with stakeholders on the earlier rates. Though apparel manufacturers hailed the commerce ministry decision, they said scope does exist to raise the rate further on some value-added products.

The US Agency for International Development launched a $5-million project in March to empower women working in RMG factories in the country. CARE Bangladesh is implementing the project, titled ‘Women Thrive in Bangladesh’, and expanding professional development opportunities for over 100,000 women.

The government agreed in June to introduce the Employment Injury Scheme for RMG workers beginning July. The agreement was reached during a meeting between the country’s labour and employment ministry and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Geneva.

A five-year initiative called Mapped in Bangladesh (MiB) is compiling and mapping export-oriented RMG factory data using the factory census approach. It had mapped 3,723 factories by mid-March. The project is being implemented by the Centre for Entrepreneurship Development of Brac University, funded by Laudes Foundation and the Netherlands government, and being coordinated by BRAC—an international development organisation based in Bangladesh.

The central bank in September cut the interest rate on loans under a programme started in 2019 that offers funds to RMG units to reinforce their safety system and improve environmental standards. The initial maximum annual interest rate of 7 per cent was reduced to 5 per cent.

Industrial

Textile mills in Bangladesh have been operating at only 30-40 per cent of their total production capacity since the gas shortage started in March 2022, the Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) said in October. At least three-fifths of the 1,700 BTMA member factories were in a vulnerable position due to this.

Mills located around Dhaka—in Narayanganj, Araihazar, Madhabdi, Ashulia, Savar, Gazipur, Sreepur, Bhaluka regions, as well as those in Chittagong and Comilla were facing an average of 12-hour shutdowns.

The Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) in April signed a term sheet with India’s Adani Ports and SEZ Limited to establish an Indian economic cone at Mirsarai in Chittagong under government-to-government engagement. That was intended to start full-fledged activities for the development of the economic zone. Other processes, including the formation of a company to operate the zone will start in phases.

BEZA and the China Road and Bridge Corporation signed a memorandum of understanding in August to begin work on developing an economic and industrial zone in Chattogram’s Anowara sub-district. The zone is fully dedicated to Chinese entrepreneurs and investors.

ILO and the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) signed an agreement in August to enhance workplace safety and health in ten priority economic sectors. Several capacity-building and promotional activities will be carried out to strengthen workplace safety and health at institutional as well as enterprise levels. The activities will be supported by ILO’s RMG programme funded by Canada and the Netherlands.

Foreign Trade

Australia will continue its duty- and quota-free treatment for exports from Bangladesh even after the country graduates from the LDC status. This commitment was made at a meeting of the first joint working group on trade and investment held in March in Canberra.

Apparel exporters will now get cash incentives and subsidies from the government on exports with 20 per cent local value addition as the Bangladesh Bank in May lowered the threshold for value addition from 30 per cent. Local value addition is calculated by deducting the import cost of materials used in production from the net free on board (FOB) export price.

Bangladesh leather and leather goods exporters can now apply to the discount committee of the Bangladesh Bank for over 5 per cent discount against export of their items. A circular in this regard was issued in December by the central bank. The apparel sector was the sole beneficiary of the benefit till now.

The decision will help such exporters offset the loss of export proceeds they often incur by offering buyers discounts of more than 5 per cent prescribed in the guidelines for foreign exchange transactions. In some cases, buyers bargain for additional discounts after settling the price. If exporters can show reasonable evidence of offering additional discounts, the discount committee will consider it.

The Bangladesh Bank in September allowed exporters to retain the value-added portion of export proceeds—the part of the export receipts available after import bills of exporters for back-to-back letters of credit are settled—in US dollars for 30 days instead of 15 days. The decision helped exporters tackle the losses from the USD-taka exchange rate fluctuation.

The central bank also permitted exporters to transfer the value-added portion of export proceeds to other banks for the settlement of import bills or liabilities of the EDF. It had instructed exporters in May to sell their export proceeds to the same banks through which they ship goods as many of them sold the dollars to the lenders that offered the higher rate, creating indiscipline in the foreign exchange market. The bank asked exporters in August not to retain the value-added portion for more than 15 days to make the domestic forex market stable.

Sustainability

BGMEA said in December end that 183 garment factories have the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.

South Korea-based UN entity Green Climate Fund (GCF) signed a funding activity agreement (FAA) in July with the Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL) in Bangladesh for a previously-approved project promoting innovative private-sector investment in energy-saving technologies for the country’s textile industry. The FAA was signed on the sidelines of the GCF board meeting in Incheon, South Korea. IDCOL will receive $256.5 million concessional financing to promote energy efficiency in textile and garment sectors in Bangladesh.

Logistics

A direct freight service started in February from Chattogram port to Europe, reducing lead time and costs. The first cargo ship on the route left for the port of Ravenna in Italy in the first week of the month.  The route is expected to reduce shipment cost by around 40 per cent. A ship will take 16 days to reach Italy through this route instead of the earlier 40.

Bangladesh’s private inland container depots raised charges for services involved in handling export-laden containers by 25 per cent in August citing the hike in fuel prices. The decision was arrived at by the Bangladesh Inland Container Depots Association and the Bangladesh Freight Forwarders Association. 

দেশে কর্মক্ষেত্রে নিরাপত্তার ঝুঁকি আরও বেড়েছে। শ্রমিকবান্ধব কর্মপরিবেশ এখনো অনেক দূরে। ফলে প্রতিদিনই প্রাণহানি ঘটছে শ্রমিকদের। সারাদেশে গত বছরের তুলনায় এ বছর কর্মক্ষেত্রে হতাহতের সংখ্যা বেড়েছে। বিদায়ী বছর অর্থাৎ ২০২২ সালের ১ জানুয়ারি থেকে ২৯ ডিসেম্বর পর্যন্ত সারাদেশে কর্মস্থলে হতাহত হয়েছেন ১ হাজার ১৯৫ জন শ্রমিক। এর মধ্যে প্রাণ হারিয়েছেন ৯৬৭ জন। এর আগের বছর অর্থাৎ ২০২১ সালে কর্মক্ষেত্রে হতাহতের এ সংখ্যা ছিল ১ হাজার ৮৯ জন। বাংলাদেশ অক্যুপেশনাল সেইফটি, হেলথ অ্যান্ড এনভায়রনমেন্ট ফাউন্ডেশনের (ওশি) এক প্রতিবেদনে এ তথ্য জানা গেছে। গতকাল শুক্রবার ঢাকা রিপোর্টার্স ইউনিটিতে এক সংবাদ সম্মেলনে কর্মক্ষেত্রে দুর্ঘটনার প্রতিবেদনটি তুলে ধরে সংস্থাটি। সংবাদ সম্মেলনে উপস্থিত ছিলেন ওশি ফাউন্ডেশনের নির্বাহী কমিটির সহ-সাধারণ সম্পাদক চায়না রহমান। প্রতিবেদনের বরাত দিয়ে ওশি ফাউন্ডেশনের প্রকল্প সমন্বয়ক এমএম কবীর মামুন জানান, ২০২২ সালে প্রাতিষ্ঠানিক খাতে ২৪৬ জন শ্রমিক এবং অপ্রাতিষ্ঠানিক খাতে ৯৪৯ জন শ্রমিক হতাহত হয়েছেন। এর মধ্যে প্রাতিষ্ঠানিক খাতে মারা যান ১৫২ জন এবং আহত হন ৯৪ জন। আর অপ্রাতিষ্ঠানিক খাতে ৮১৫ জন মারা যান মৃত্যু এবং আহত হন ১৩৪ জন। উভয় খাত মিলিয়ে মারা যাওয়া ৯৬৭ জনের মধ্যে নারী শ্রমিক ২৪ জন এবং পুরুষ শ্রমিক ৯৪৩ জন। আর এ দুই খাতে আহত হয়েছেন ২২৮ জন। এমএম কবীর মামুন জানান, ২০২২ সালে প্রাতিষ্ঠানিক ও অপ্রাতিষ্ঠানিক খাতে যে ৯৬৭ জন শ্রমিক নিহত হন, তার মধ্যে সবচেয়ে বেশি শ্রমিক মারা গেছেন পরিবহন খাতে। বছরজুড়ে এ খাতে মোট হতাহতের সংখ্যা ৪৭৬ জন, যার মধ্যে ৪২৫ জন নিহত আর ৫১ জন আহত হয়েছেন। যা মোট হতাহতের ৪০ শতাংশ। হতাহতের দিক দিয়ে পরিবহন খাতের পরেই রয়েছে সেবামূলক খাত। এ খাতে মোট ২৭০ জন শ্রমিক হতাহতের শিকার হয়েছেন, যার মধ্যে ২১১ জন মারা গেছেন আর ৫৯ জন আহত হয়েছেন। যা মোট হতাহতের ২৩ শতাংশ। এই সেবামূলক খাতের মধ্যে অন্তর্ভুক্ত রয়েছে ওয়ার্কশপ, গ্যাস, বিদ্যুৎ সরবরাহকারী প্রতিষ্ঠান, হাসপাতাল, হোটেল, রেস্টুরেন্ট, সরকারি সেবাদানকারী প্রতিষ্ঠানের কর্মী প্রভৃতি।সেবা খাতের পর রয়েছে কৃষি খাত। এ খাতে বিদায়ী বছরে মোট ১৩৯ জন শ্রমিক হতাহত হয়েছেন। তাদের মধ্যে ১২৪ জন মারা যান এবং ১৫ জন আহত হন। ফসল উৎপাদন কর্মী, জেলে, চা শ্রমিক, গরু ও মুরগির খামারের শ্রমিক এ খাতের আওতাভুক্ত। নির্মাণ খাতে বছরজুড়ে ১৩৪ জন শ্রমিক বিভিন্ন দুর্ঘটনায় হতাহত হয়েছেন, যার মধ্যে ১০৫ জন নিহত এবং ২৯ জন আহত হয়েছেন। আর ম্যানুফ্যাকচারিং খাতে মোট হতাহতের সংখ্যা ১০০ জন, যার মধ্যে ৬৭ জন নিহত এবং ৩৩ জন আহত হয়েছেন। যা মোট হতাহতের ১৮ শতাংশ।এমএম কবীর মামুন জানান, এ বছর তৈরি পোশাকশিল্প খাতে মোট ৫৪ জন শ্রমিক হতাহত হন। এর মধ্যে ২৮ জন মারা যান এবং ২৬ জন আহত হন। যা মোট হতাহতের ৪ শতাংশ। বছরজুড়ে জাহাজভাঙা শিল্পে হতাহতের সংখ্যা ২২ জন, যার মধ্যে নিহত ৭ জন এবং আহত হন ১৫ জন। যা মোট হতাহতের ২ শতাংশ।ওশি ফাউন্ডেশনের গবেষণা বলছে, গত এক দশকে (২০১৩-২২) মোট ১৫ হাজার ২৫৯ জন শ্রমিক কর্মক্ষেত্রে হতাহতের শিকার হন। এর মধ্যে ৯ হাজার ৫৫৮ জন নিহত এবং ৫ হাজার ৭০১ জন আহত হন। তবে ২০২০ সালে করোনা অভিঘাতের সময় এ সংক্রান্ত কোনো তথ্য সংগ্রহ করতে পারেনি ওশি ফাউন্ডেশন। ওই বছরের সেপ্টেম্বর থেকে ডিসেম্বর মাসের তথ্য গবেষণা প্রতিবেদনে সংযোজন করা হয়েছে।