Bangladesh 34.4 → 39.8 (Δ +5.4): ITUC 10-Worst Exit — First Since 2017 — November 2025 Labour Reforms Verified
moved out of the list of the world's 10 worst countries for workers' rights in 2026 for the first time since 2017, although the country remained in rating 5, 'no guarantee of rights'
Sources (3)
moved out of the list of the world's 10 worst countries for workers' rights in 2026 for the first time since 2017, although the country remained in rating 5, 'no guarantee of rights'
unions to be established with the support of as few as 20 workers, replacing the previous requirement for approval from 20 per cent of a company's total workforce
freedom of association remained heavily restricted because of regulatory barriers and strong resistance from employers
Bangladesh exited the ITUC 2026 Global Rights Index 10-worst-countries list for the first time since 2017, driven by substantive November 2025 labour law reforms that cleared the ITUC's evidentiary bar. The reforms: (1) eased union formation to 20 workers (down from a 20% workforce threshold — a structural change that had long suppressed organizing); (2) introduced 120-day maternity leave; (3) added anti-discrimination protections and a right to refuse unsafe work; (4) extended labour law coverage to domestic workers, agricultural workers, and the shipbreaking sector — three categories previously excluded entirely.
Bangladesh also ratified ILO Conventions C155 (Occupational Safety and Health), C187 (Promotional Framework for OSH), and C190 (Violence and Harassment), and highlighted this progress at the 114th International Labour Conference in Geneva in June 2026. The upgrade is calibrated conservatively.