Low-cost health programs and digital tools can boost both the wellbeing of Bangladesh’s readymade garment (RMG) workers and the sector’s productivity, experts said at a 28th September event in Dhaka.
The program, titled Ensuring Health and Wellbeing of RMG Workers, was organised by Ayat Education, BGMEA, Integral Global (IG), the JCM Foundation, and several leading factories. It gathered factory owners, policymakers, buyers, and development partners to discuss expanding and sustaining health initiatives and reinforcing policy support.
Bangladesh’s garment industry accounts for about 16% of the national GDP and around 80% of export earnings, employing roughly four million workers, more than half of whom are women. Longstanding health issues have been dampening productivity and global competitiveness.
Key measures introduced through the initiative include disseminating health information to workers and management, conducting awareness sessions for mid-level managers, training workers in health and hygiene practices, organising a four-day health camp, and launching the country’s first digital health toolkit.
Md Sanwar Jahan Bhuiyan, secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, praised the sector’s role in the economy, noting that BGMEA and the government are pursuing improvements in labour laws, welfare, safety, and health. He emphasised the importance of strengthening digital systems, information management, and self-regulated monitoring, adding that reducing risk will benefit both productivity and worker welfare if all stakeholders collaborate.
Inamul Haq Khan, senior vice-president of BGMEA, highlighted the industry’s foundational role in Bangladesh’s economy and stressed the need to safeguard the health and welfare of its four million workers, 57% of whom are women. He said the partnership’s successful initiatives demonstrate how health and productivity can rise together, and urged scaling these practices to more factories for lasting impact.
Other speakers included Nusrat Aman, CEO of Ayat Education; Jenna Buttolph, senior public health analyst at Integral Global; and Mased Abdullah, managing director of Dressmen Ltd. The event featured a panel with participants such as Sharif Zahir, managing director of Ananta Group and chairman of United Commercial Bank; Kazi Faisal Bin Seraj, Bangladesh country representative of The Asia Foundation; and Ron Johnson, among others.
