The International Labour Organization (ILO) has once again raised concerns over a long-running labour dispute involving the Grameenphone Employees Union (GPEU), identifying the case as "serious and urgent" and drawing renewed attention to the prolonged legal battle of union leader Adeeba Zerin Chowdhury.
The issue, formally registered as Case No. 3263, has repeatedly appeared in ILO reviews over the years, reflecting what the organisation describes as persistent delays in resolving allegations of anti-union discrimination and failure to enforce labour court decisions.
The latest observations were placed before the ILO governing body at its 356th session.
The dispute dates back to the late 2000s, when several GPEU members, including Ms Chowdhury, were dismissed following efforts to establish and operate a union within the company.
The dismissals triggered a series of legal proceedings that have continued for more than 15 years, moving through labour courts and appellate mechanisms without reaching a final resolution.
According to the ILO committee on Freedom of Association, the prolonged nature of the case and the lack of effective remedy raise serious concerns regarding compliance with international labour standards.
The committee has, in successive reports, urged the Bangladesh government to expedite proceedings, ensure enforcement of court rulings, and address allegations of anti-union practices.
Despite these repeated recommendations, the latest report notes that key cases, including that of Adeeba Zerin Chowdhury, remain pending, with judicial processes still ongoing.
The government has informed the ILO that hearings, including cross-examinations, are continuing, indicating that the matter has yet to be concluded.
Speaking on the delays, Ms Chowdhury said the judicial process had been repeatedly obstructed over the years.
"Over the past 15 years, Grameenphone has repeatedly used delay tactics that continue to obstruct the judicial process, and the same pattern persists even today, with proceedings repeatedly prolonged and issues often avoided on the ground of sub judice, effectively blocking access to an effective remedy," she told The Financial Express.
She added that the delays were compounded by administrative inaction and slow judicial progress.
"This prolonged delay is further reinforced by administrative silence and slow judicial progress, resulting in continued denial of timely justice," she said.
Calling for intervention, Ms Chowdhury said existing procedural frameworks had failed to resolve the dispute.
"In these circumstances, SOPs and legal reforms on paper are not sufficient to resolve a case of this duration. I therefore call for urgent and direct government intervention, including consideration of an out-of-court settlement or any other effective mechanism to ensure final closure of these long-standing cases."
The ILO report does not directly assign legal liability to the company but outlines allegations that the dismissed workers faced anti-union discrimination and that enforcement of favourable rulings has been ineffective.
The case has drawn attention in part because the company is majority-owned by Telenor, placing the dispute within the broader context of multinational corporate accountability.
Over the years, the GPEU case has been raised multiple times within the ILO's supervisory framework, with the committee reiterating its recommendations in successive observations.
The continued inclusion of the case in recent reports signals a lack of substantive progress in resolving the dispute.
The latest findings come amid broader ILO concerns regarding labour rights enforcement in Bangladesh, including delays in judicial processes and challenges faced by trade unions.
The organisation has called on the authorities to take necessary steps to ensure timely resolution of pending cases and effective protection of workers' rights.
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