The development partners (DPs) of Bangladesh have demanded of the government to share the final drafts of the Bangladesh Labour (Amendment) Law 2013, Foreign Donation (Voluntary Activities) Regulation Bill 2012, and the Audit Bill, with them before enacting them into law. The DPs raised the demand at the Local Consultative Group (LCG) plenary meeting with the Economic Relations Division (ERD) on Sunday.
According to sources, the DPs raised the demand to make sure the government had included their suggestions and was following international standards, to restore GSP facilities.
Co-chairs of the LCG, ERD secretary Md Abul Kalam Azad, and UN resident coordinator Neal Walker, jointly conducted the meeting in which representatives from all 36 development partners, including the World Bank,
ADB, IDB and JICA participated.
The representatives of the European Union had expressed satisfaction with the standard of the draft of amendments to the labour law, the meeting sources added.
The ERD assured the DPs to convey their demand to the higher authority of the government.
The ERD also informed that it had no authority to discuss the law, without consent of the higher authority. Besides, there was no scope to discuss the law, after approval of the draft by the Cabinet.
The ERD also mentioned that the draft of the labour law had been put on the website for review and comments.
An apex committee, headed by state minister for labour and manpower, Begum Monnujan Sufian, had received 916 written comments, which they had shared with all stakeholders, DPs including ILO, labour law experts, owners and labourers.
The ERD also informed that with the recommendations of the parliamentary standing committee, the bill would be placed before Parliament, shortly, and was likely to be passed in the first week of July.
ERD officials also said that the DPs had urged the government to implement the commitments made by the government and the employers’ organisations, such as, the BEF, BGMEA and BKMEA, and workers’ organisations, to fully abide by the relevant laws, regulations and procedures, to ensure fire safety at the workplace by November.
The government had also committed to actively develop, promote and implement collaborative, participatory, and transparent mechanisms, to ensure fire safety in the country, the officials added.
The DPs had asked to see the draft before enactment of the law as they were doubtful about the government incorporating their suggestions, the sources added.
Of the three laws, the Foreign Donation (Voluntary Activities) Regulation Bill 2012 has already been sent to the Prime Minister’s Office, for review and approval.
The finance division (FD) is currently examining the Audit Bill. Following its approval, the bill will be sent to the legislative and Parliamentary affairs division for vetting. It will be then placed before the cabinet, for approval.
-With The Independent input
