Home ›› 28 Nov 2021 ›› World Biz

Ensure workers’ nutrition to boost production in RMG sector: Speakers

Staff correspondent
28 Nov 2021 19:23:51 | Update: 28 Nov 2021 19:24:16
Ensure workers’ nutrition to boost production in RMG sector: Speakers

Speakers at a seminar on Sunday stressed on ensuring nutrition of garment workers to improve their working capacity and boost production in the RMG sector.

A huge number of workers in the country’s different industries are malnourished, but workforce nutrition interventions can improve their health and wellbeing and ultimately improves the company production, they said.

About 43 per cent Bangladeshi female workers in the RMG sector are victims of malnutrition, speakers said citing data of National Library of Medicine, USA (2014) while addressing the seminar titled ‘Workforce Nutrition: Learning Dissemination Seminar’ at a hotel in the capital.

According to data of ILO (2005), malnutrition can reduce the productivity and working capacity of workers by up to 20 per cent if it is not addressed, they stated.

State Minister for Labour and Employment Begum Monnujan Sufian, attended the event as the chief guest, while KM Abdus Salam, secretary of Parliament Secretariat was the special guest.

In her address, Begum Monnujan Sufian said the government has been focusing on the public health and nutrition issues in line with the steps taken by father of the nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman for development of the country.

She stressed on proper implementation of Prime Minister’s Vision 2021-41, which strives to eradicate extreme poverty and gain the status of the upper middle-income country by 2030 and the status of the high-income country by 2041.

Dr Syed Abul Hamid, Professor of Institute of Health Economics (IHE) of Dhaka University said meals at lunch time, provided for RMG workers under GAIN’s ‘Swapno’ project, improved nutritional condition as well as working capacity of the workers.

Citing the project’s results, he said ‘Pusti Bandhu’ played an important role in disseminating knowledge on nutrition among workers.  

Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) organised the event supported by Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), a Switzerland-based international organisation.   

Moniruzzaman Bipul, Portfolio Lead of GAIN Bangladesh, presented the keynote paper on workforce nutrition.

Chaired by M Ehsan E-Elahi, secretary of Labour and Employment Ministry; Dr SM Mustafizur Rahman, line director of National Nutrition Service (NNS); Anne Van Leeuwen, Netherlands ambassador to Bangladesh; Goutam Kumar, director general of Labour Department; Kazi Zebunnesa Begum, additional secretary of Health Services Division of Health and Family Welfare Ministry and Focal of Sun Focal Point; Dr Rudaba Khondker, country director of GAIN-Bangladesh also spoke at the programme, among others.

×