Call to protect rights of domestic workers

Speakers at a seminar called on Thursday for protecting the rights and dignity of the country's domestic workers, who are the most neglected and oppressed section of the society, said a press release.
As they have been kept outside the purview of Labour Law 2006, they are deprived of enjoying rights and are facing tortures on different excuses. They are not safe even staying at homely environment, both their physical and mental growths are being hampered, resulting in violation of their rights, they said addressing the seminar.     
"Our constitution also asked the state to ensure the fundamental rights of all the citizens. So, violation of the rights of a large number of people cannot be accepted".      
Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS) and Oxfam GB jointly organised the seminar on "Recognition of the Contribution of Informal Sectors Workers Focus on Domestic Workers" at Azimur Rahman Hall of The Daily Star.
Dr Shamsul Alam, senior secretary of general economics division of Planning Commission, Israfil Alam, MP, Member of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour and Employment Ministry, country director of Oxfam GB Snehal Soneji, Abul Hossain, a representative of Domestic Workers Rights Network (DWRN), Shah Mohammad Abu Jafar, joint convenor of SKOP, among others, spoke at the programme with Rowshan Jahan Sathi, secretary of BILS, in the chair.          
Dr Sayema Haque Bidisha, a teacher of Dhaka University, and Dr Jakir Hossain, a teacher of Rajshahi University, presented two keynote papers at the function.      
The speakers called upon the government to ratify ILO Convention No. 189. The convention on 'decent work for domestic workers' clearly articulates the terms of reference for promoting and protecting rights of domestic workers. A total of 17 countries have ratified the ILO Convention so far, but Bangladesh is yet to ratify it, they said.