Ninety-five motorcycles, which will help raise the capacity of government officials to carry out inspections in garment factories, were handed over in the capital on Sunday, reports UNB.
State Minister for Labour and Employment Mujibul Haque Chunnu received the motorcycles on behalf of the government.
Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) will use the motorbikes provided under the 'Improving Working Conditions in the Readymade Garment (RMG) Sector Programme', a government initiative.
The programme, funded by Canada, the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the UK government, is being implemented by the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
"The motorcycles will make it easier for the Labour Inspectors to carry out their jobs effectively. This equipment, coupled with long-term training and capacity building, will contribute towards greater factory safety and improve condition of workers in Bangladesh," said Mujibul Haque Chunnu.
Reiterating ILO's commitment to strengthen the labour inspection system, ILO country director for Bangladesh Srinivas B Reddy said: "DIFE needs the right equipment and right skills if it is to carry out the vital role entrusted to it.
"The handover today of these motorcycles is part of a long-term undertaking to strengthen DIFE and I am confident that this equipment will ultimately benefit many thousands of workers throughout Bangladesh," he added.
The handover of motorcycles is the part of a three-year plan to strengthen the Bangladesh labour inspection system. In June this year, 125 labour inspectors (114 men and 11 women) received ILO training on inspections and occupational safety and health.
As part of the implementation of the National Tripartite Plan of Action (NTPA) on Structural Interiority and Fire Safety, the RMG Programme has also handed over equipment worth some US$477,000 to Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) to carry out factory safety inspections.
The 'Improving Working Conditions in the Ready Made Garment (RMG) Sector Programme' of three-and-a-half-year duration, focuses on improving RMG factory building safety, workers rights and overall working conditions in Bangladesh. The initiative will run until December 2016.
Among others, Labour and Employment Secretary Mikail Shipar; DIFE Inspector General Syed Ahmed; Canadian High Commissioner in Bangladesh Heather Cruden; Netherlands Ambassador in Dhaka Gerben Sjoerd de Jong; and British High Commissioner in Dhaka Robert W Gibson were present on the occasion.
