Rights and Benefits of Female Workers under theLabor Law 2006: A Case Study in Dhaka City
Main Article Content
Abstract
This study investigates the Rights and Benefits of the Bangladesh Labor Law 2006 in safeguarding the rights and benefits of female garment workers in Dhaka City. Using a sample of 230 respondents across five industrial zones, the research was conducted from January to December 2024. Findings indicate considerable disparities between legal provisions and real-world practices, particularly in areas such as maternity leave, overtime compensation, rest facilities, and awareness of legal rights. While basic health and food facilities are widely available, only 72.5% of workers reported receiving maternity benefits, and over 60% worked beyond standard hours without proper compensation. The study emphasizes the urgent need for enhanced legal enforcement, improved factory-level compliance, and targeted awareness campaigns to ensure that female workers can fully realize their entitled rights. These insights offer practical implications for policymakers, industry stakeholders, and labor rights organizations aiming to foster gender-equitable working conditions in Bangladesh’s RMG sector.
Article Details
Section

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). Authors retain copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication. Anyone may copy, distribute, remix, adapt and build upon the work, including for commercial purposes, provided appropriate credit is given to the original author(s) and the source, a link to the license is provided, and any changes made are indicated. License details: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
How to Cite
References
1. Ahmed, F. (2022). Workplace safety and sanitation facilities for female workers in Bangladesh: A multi-sector analysis. Journal of Labor Studies, 15(3), 78–95.
2. Akhter, S., Rutherford, S., & Chu, C. (2019). Sufferings in silence: Violence
against female workers in the ready-made garment industry in Bangladesh.
Journal of Industrial Relations, 61(2), 252–276.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0022185618792190
3. Barrett, P., Baumann-Pauly, D., & Ives, A. (2022). The Bangladesh Accord a
decade after Rana Plaza: Achievements, limitations and lessons learned.
Business and Human Rights Journal, 7(1), 53–74.
https://doi.org/10.1017/bhj.2021.54
4. BGMEA. (2023). Annual Report 2022–2023. Bangladesh Garment
Manufacturers and Exporters Association.
5. Chowdhury, M., & Abrar, C. R. (2021). Reproductive rights of female garment
workers in Bangladesh: Promises and realities. Gender, Technology and
Development, 25(2), 162–184. https://doi.org/10.1080/09718524.2021.1911545
6. Hossain, M., & Ahmed, S. (2020). Gender-based job segregation in the RMG
sector of Bangladesh: Causes and consequences. Gender, Work & Organization,
27(6), 1372–1394.
7. Islam, M. S., & Hossain, A. T. M. J. (2022). Employment rights awareness
among female garment workers: Barriers and facilitators. Labor Studies
Journal, 47(2), 123–149. https://doi.org/10.1177/0160449X21994496
8. Kabeer, N. (2019). Women's empowerment and economic development: A
feminist critique of storytelling practices in "randomista" economics. Feminist
Economics, 26(2), 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1080/13545701.2020.1743338
9. Kabeer, N., Haq, L., & Sulaiman, M. (2022). Multi-stakeholder initiatives in
Bangladesh after Rana Plaza: Global norms and workers' perspectives.
Development and Change, 53(3), 526–552. https://doi.org/10.1111/dech.12669
10. Khan, A. (2023). Working hours and compensation in Bangladesh's RMG
sector: A study of compliance with labor laws. South Asian Journal of Human
Resources Management, 10(1), 45–63.
11. Mahmud, S., & Sultan, M. (2022). Working conditions and worker satisfaction:
Evidence from RMG factories in Bangladesh. The Journal of Development
Studies, 58(4), 731–748. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220388.2021.1985482
12. Moazzem, K. G. (2023). Compliance variation in Bangladesh's garment industry: Factory characteristics and buyer relationships. The European Journal of Development Research, 35(1), 100–124. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41287-022-00545-x
13. Mottaleb, K. A., &Sonobe, T. (2021). The minimum wage, exports, and firm
performance: Evidence from Bangladesh's apparel sector. World Development,
145, 105531. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2021.105531
14. Rahman, M. (2021). Working conditions in Bangladesh's RMG sector: Progress and challenges. Bangladesh Development Studies, 44(3), 25–48.
15. Rahman, M., & Langford, D. (2023). Working conditions and worker
satisfaction: A cross-national comparative study of garment workers in
Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Cambodia. Work, Employment and Society, 37(2),
325–343. https://doi.org/10.1177/09500170221145022
16. Siddiqi, D. M. (2022). Between compliance and resistance: Women workers
negotiating labor rights in Bangladesh's garment sector. Signs: Journal of
Women in Culture and Society, 47(3), 687–710. https://doi.org/10.1086/717651
17. Tanjeem, N. (2021). Gendered labor regimes in Bangladesh's garment factories: Negotiating workplace safety and workers' rights. Gender, Place & Culture, 28(5), 685–707. https://doi.org/10.1080/0966369X.2020.1759511
18. UN DESA. (2023). LDC Graduation: Impacts on Bangladesh's Trade
Preferences. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
19. Hossain, M. J. (2024). Digital Supply Chain Adoption and Operational Efficiency in Bangladesh's Manufacturing Sector: A Systematic Review. Pacific Journal of Business Innovation and Strategy, 1(1), 70-83. https://doi.org/10.70818/pjbis.v01i01.0240