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The Committee refers the Government to its observation and requests it to provide information on the following matters.

1. Legislation enforceable by labour inspectors. The Committee notes with interest the adoption of a new Labour Code. It would be grateful if the Government would indicate whether the new Code is now in force, and to provide a copy of it.

2. Articles 10 and 16 of the Convention. Appropriate numbers of labour inspectors. The Committee notes that in reply to its previous comments, the Government states its firm intention of increasing the labour inspectorate both in quality and in quantity, and that a concrete proposal of the Inspection Directorate is under consideration by the Government. It also states that ILO technical assistance could make an important contribution to improving the effectiveness of the labour inspection system, inter alia, through appropriate training for human resource development and the provision of modern technology for the Inspection Directorate. The Committee hopes that the Government will not fail to indicate the measures taken to put its intentions into effect and that it will report on them to the ILO. It asks the Government also to provide all useful information on any progress made and on difficulties encountered. Please also provide particulars of the strength of the labour inspectorate, its geographical distribution and, if appropriate, the distribution of duties.

With reference to its previous comments, the Committee again asks the Government to supply information on the effect given to the proposal by the Bangladesh Employers’ Federation regarding its involvement in inspection activities, referred to by the Government in its report for 2001, and to provide details on the purpose, extent and implications of such involvement if it already exists.

3. Articles 3(b), 13 and 14. Health and safety protection. The Committee notes that the Government is committed to ensuring decent working conditions at workplaces, which should be free from all hazards, including occupational accidents and diseases. Noting the information that the relevant legal provisions are being amended accordingly and that the number of medical inspectors is being increased, it requests the Government to provide copies of the relevant legal provisions in the versions currently in force.

The Committee notes with interest that the Inspection Directorate of the Government is conducting a series of training programmes under a project entitled “Improvement of the working environment, health and safety in the factories”, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and that a project on occupational safety and health is being implemented by the Health Directorate of the Government in which the Department of Labour and the Inspection Directorate are participating regularly. The Committee asks the Government to provide copies of the basic texts of the abovementioned projects, together with information on progress made since the launch of these projects in terms of cooperation with the social partners to improve health and safety conditions at work and in terms of reducing the number of industrial accidents and the cases of occupational disease. Please also provide particulars of the content and duration of the training set up by the Inspection Directorate, and the number and functions of the persons attending the training.

4. Article 14. Notification of industrial accidents. The Committee notes with concern that unlike industrial accidents, cases of occupational disease are not normally notified, which is contrary to the Convention. The Committee cannot overemphasize the social and economic interest of developing a system for informing and sensitizing employers and workers about such matters, and of enabling labour inspectors to carry out health and safety supervision in such a way as to contribute to reducing occupational risks liable to cause specific diseases. It would be grateful if the Government would take steps to secure the adoption of legal provisions setting forth the instances and the manner in which the labour inspectorate must be informed of cases of occupational disease and to make inspectors responsible for providing information and technical advice to employers and workers in order to heighten their awareness of such matters.

5. Article 18. Effective enforcement of appropriate penalties. According to the Government, the level of penalties and fines has been raised sufficiently in the new Labour Code, on the basis of a tripartite consensus, keeping in view the severity of the violations. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would provide copies of the relevant laws and regulations. Please also provide any available regional or national statistics on the number and seriousness of the penalties actually applied for offences reported by labour inspectors, and to indicate progress made in terms of better observance of the law thanks to the updating of penalties.

6. Article 21. Annual labour inspection report. The Committee hopes that the Government will shortly publish and send to the ILO, as it said it would, an annual report on the work of the inspection services containing the information required by Article 21(a) to (g). It would be grateful if the Government would present this information, as far as possible, in the manner proposed in Recommendation No. 81.