UN to work with FBCCI

The United Nations (UN) has expressed interest to work with the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FBCCI) to improve the working environment in industries of Bangladesh.

The Country Director of ILO Bangladesh Tuomo Poutiainen said this in a courtesy call on FBCCI President Md Jashim Uddin at FBCCI office on Monday afternoon.

Tuomo Poutiainen lauded the major reforms in the garment sector after Rana Plaza and the recent initiative by FBCCI and BIDA to inspect factories producing for the domestic market.

The ILO Country Director thanked the FBCCI for setting up the FBCCI Safety Council on the initiative of the present committee.

Tuomo Poutiainen thinks that it would be easier to improve the labour sector in Bangladesh if the FBCCI, along with the Bangladesh Employers Federation (BEF), the organization representing the private sector in ILO Bangladesh, was sidelined.

At that time the BEF president Ardashir Kabir proposed to form two working groups in the two respective trade bodies. “The groups will jointly review and finalize the draft work plan prepared by the ILO,” Kabir added.

FBCCI President Jashim Uddin welcomed the initiative taken by the United Nations through the ILO.

“Some 108 committees have already been formed under the initiative of FBCCI and BIDA who will initially inspect 500 factories,” he also said.

Jashim also said that the FBCCI experts would give their views on the matter after reviewing the draft work plan prepared by the ILO.

He added that Bangladesh’s ready-made garment sector has become one of the safest industries in the world through reforms. The UN wants to bring about such positive changes in the rest of the industry. That goal requires the involvement of the private sector.

FBCCI Vice President M A Momen, Md. Amin Helaly, Secretary General Mohammad Mahfuzul Hoque and FBCCI Safety Council Adviser Brig. General (Retd.) Abu Naeem Md Shahidullah, among others, were present there.