As many as 1,432 workers were killed in their workplaces across the country due to unsafe work environments in 2023, report agencies.
The figure marks a 48 per cent increase from 2022, when 967 fatalities were recorded. Another 502 people suffered work-related injuries this year, up from 228 in 2022.
Non-governmental organisation 'Bangladesh Occupational Safety, Health and Environment (OSHE)' Foundation revealed the information at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters' Unity (DRU) on Friday.
The foundation collected the data from 15 media outlets and their own field-level sources.
OSHE's Chairperson Saki Rizwana, Vice Chairperson Dr SM Morshed, Research and Monitoring Officer Nur Alam and Case Management Officer Nusrat Jahan were present on the occasion.
Presenting the report, Dr Morshed said 329 workers died in institutional workplaces in 2023 while the death toll in non-institutional workplaces was 1103.
The data shows that the highest 637 workers met their end in the transport sector.
During this period, 220 daily labourers died and 76 sustained injuries in their respective workplaces, 149 died and 72 were wounded in the construction sector, 146 died and 10 were injured in agriculture (including 71 killed by lightning), 64 died and 89 were injured in garment industry and 94 died and 15 were injured in manufacturing.
Fifty-three people were killed and 22 injured in the fishing sector, 26 died and 22 injured in the services sector, 17 died and 9 injured in ceramic sector, 4 died and 17 injured in leather industry, 11 died and six injured in brick kilns, 7 died and 29 injured in shipwreck or shipbreaking.
On the other hand, one tea worker died and six others sustained injuries, and three were killed and two injured in the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.
The report mentioned that road accidents, electrocution, fire, collapse of buildings or structures, lightning, gas cylinder explosion, violence, physical abuse of domestic workers, wall-building-roof and landslides were the major reasons for casualties at workplaces.
The OSHE put forward some recommendations that included intensifying monitoring in applying the health and safety rules mentioned in Bangladesh Labour Law-2006 (amended in 2018) and Bangladesh Labour Rules-2015.
It also recommended formation of a safety committee comprising labourers and owners like the apparel sector and inclusion of the provision of paying Tk 1.0 million and Tk 0.5 million to the family of a dead and injured worker in the Labour Law.
Inclusion of the provision of rehabilitation of injured workers and introduction of Employment Injury Scheme (EIS) in all industrial sectors were also recommended.