Bangladesh, for the first time this year after nine consecutive years since 2017, has been dropped from the list of the world's top 10 worst countries for workers' rights, according to a global survey.
The Global Rights Index 2026, released by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) on June 1, cited legal reforms, including reducing barriers to forming trade unions in Bangladesh, which was also hailed by local unions, as reasons for the improvement.
Referring to the reforms, the report said in November 2025, the interim government led by Professor Muhammad Yunus reduced barriers to forming trade unions - a long-awaited reform made possible by the fall of Sheikh Hasina's authoritarian regime in 2024.
Previously requiring the consent of 20 per cent of the workforce, unions can now be formed with the support of as few as 20 workers, depending on the size of the company.
The reforms introduced 120 days of paid maternity leave; explicitly included domestic and agricultural workers in provisions for union rights, welfare, and social security; and brought shipbreaking under labour regulations, the report mentioned.
"However, freedom of association remains restricted due to other regulatory obstacles and employer pushback," it said.
It pointed out state repression of strikes and union activities stamped out in Bangladesh's garment sector.
Bangladesh's position on the index remained unchanged with a rating of five.
Countries with a rating of 5 are the worst countries in the world to work in.
The ITUC ranked Bangladesh with 40 other nations, including Cambodia, China, India, Pakistan, and Thailand, in the fifth category.
The fifth category is a sign of "no guarantee of rights".
"While the legislation may spell out certain rights, workers have effectively no access to these rights and are, therefore, exposed to autocratic regimes and unfair labour practices," said the report.
It said Japan continued to impose legal restrictions on strikes in specific sectors, while in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, and Indonesia, strikes were suppressed through police intervention, legal barriers, and other repressive actions.
Bangladesh actively restricted workers' ability to join or form unions, it also said.
The Asia-Pacific region was rife with examples of the oppression and victimisation of workers and union representatives, it said, citing that police attacked and threatened workers in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, and Myanmar in an effort to suppress their rights to protest and organise.
In April 2025, factory workers protesting unpaid wages and bonuses faced violent police suppression in Bangladesh.
Workers from Apparel Plus EC Limited, TNZ Apparels Ltd, and Apparel Art Ltd gathered outside the Ministry of Labour and Employment offices to demand their dues.
The protest was dispersed using tear gas, resulting in injuries to many workers, noted the report.
In special economic zones, including in Bangladesh and Haiti, workers are deprived of their right to freedom of association.
When asked, Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies Executive Director Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmed described Bangladesh's removal from the list of the top 10 worst countries as "positive", saying the labour law reforms included some positive measures.
"But the administrative barriers need to be removed for effective implementation," he said.
Trade union registration for small and medium-sized factories remained difficult as a factory having 50 workers needs 40 per cent representation, he also said. He stressed enhancing legal coverage to all workers, adding that true union representation must be ensured in tripartite committees.
The 13th edition of the index ranked 152 countries in 1-5 categories and assessed where worker rights are best protected in law and in practice. The 13-year data trends analysed on the index show that workers' rights are in free fall across every continent, with Europe and the Americas recording their worst scores since the index began in 2014.
Key findings included the United States being placed on the watch list, while France was downgraded from 2 to 3 and Argentina and Panama entered the list of top 10 worst countries for the first time.
Half of all countries arrest or detain workers for exercising their union rights, with a sharp rise in violence worldwide.
"The 2026 Global Rights Index shows that the crisis for workers' rights is no longer confined to the margins - it is now at the heart of democracies. Governments are failing to protect working people, and in many cases are actively undermining them," ITUC General Secretary Luc Triangle said in a statement.
Munni_fe@yahoo.com