Weekly Rest (Industry) Convention, 1921 (No. 14) - Bangladesh (Ratification: 1972)

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2025, published 114th ILC session (2026)

In order to provide a comprehensive view of the issues relating to the application of ratified Conventions on working time, the Committee considers it appropriate to examine Conventions Nos 1 (hours of work in industry), 14 (weekly rest in industry), 106 (weekly rest in commerce and offices), and 89 (night work of women) together. 

The Committee notes the observations of the Trade Union’s International Labour Standards Committee (TU-ILS Committee) with respect to all the above Conventions, received on 1 September 2025.

Hours of work 

Article 6(2) of Convention No. 1. Compensation. The Committee notes that the TU-ILS Committee indicates in its observations that in tannery, bookbinding, and printing factories, work beyond eight hours is often not recognized as overtime and therefore is not properly compensated. The Committee requests the Government to provide its comments in this respect. The Committee also requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken or envisaged to ensure that payment of overtime hours is provided in practice in all circumstances at no less than 125 per cent of the ordinary wage rate, irrespective of any compensatory rest granted to the workers concerned.

Weekly rest 

Article 2 of Convention No. 106. Scope of application. In its previous comments, the Committee noted that section 4(1)(a) of the Bangladesh Labour Act, 2006 (BLA) excludes from its scope of application governmental offices. The Committee observes that this provision is still in force. The Committee also notes that section 4(1)(b), (e) and (f) of the BLA excludes from its application security printing press, shops or stalls in any public exhibition or show which deal only in retail trade, and shops or stalls in any public fair or bazaar established for religious or charitable purposes. The Committee requests the Government to indicate in which manner it ensures that the provisions of the Convention are given full effect regarding workers employed in establishments that are excluded from the BLA.

Article 2(1) of Convention No. 14 and Article 6(1) of Convention No. 106. Right to weekly rest. In its observations, the TU-ILS Committee indicates that section 103(a) of the BLA, which provides for one day of weekly rest in industrial establishments and one day and a half in shops and other establishments, does not explicitly require that this rest is uninterrupted, leaving room for potential violations, especially in sectors with shift work. The Committee requests the Government to provide its comments in this respect. It also requests the Government to indicate how this provision is applied in practice to ensure that all workers enjoy at least 24 uninterrupted hours of rest per week.

Article 2(2) and (3) of Convention No. 14 and Article 6(2) and (3) of Convention No. 106. Uniformity of weekly rest. Respect for traditions and customs. Further to its previous comments, the Committee notes that according to section 114(2) of the BLA and section 100 of the Bangladesh Labour Rules, 2015 (BLR), the weekly rest day may vary from area to area and may be changed in the public interest. In its observations, the TU-ILS indicates that in factories, workers are often sent on leave in small groups when workloads are low, while in printing and bookbinding industries, there is no fixed weekly rest day. The TU-ILS Committee emphasizes the need to align the granting of weekly rest with local religious and social customs to promote worker well-being and social cohesion. The Committee recalls that the principle of uniformity enshrined in Article 2(2) of Convention No. 14 and Article 6(2) of Convention No. 106 refers to the collective character of weekly rest with a view to ensuring, wherever possible, that it is taken at the same time by all workers on the day established by tradition or custom (2018 General Survey on working-time instruments, para. 202). The Committee requests the Government to provide its comments in this respect. The Committee also requests the Government to provide information on how it ensures that weekly rest is, whenever possible, granted simultaneously to the whole of the staff of each undertaking and so as to coincide with the days already established by the traditions or customs of the country or district, as required in Article 2(2) and (3) of Convention No. 14 and Article 6(2) and (3) of Convention No. 106. 

Article 5 of Convention No. 14 and Article 7(2) and 8(3) of Convention No. 106. Compensatory rest. The Committee notes that under section 104 of the BLA workers may, subject to consultation with the representatives of the collective bargaining agent or participation committee, work on the weekly rest day and a compensatory rest day can be added to the festival holiday. In this regard, the Committee recalls the importance of granting compensatory rest within an appropriate lapse of time in order to protect workers’ health and safety and their participation in family life (2018 General Survey concerning working-time instruments, para. 918). The Committee requests the Government to indicate how it is ensured that workers are not required to work excessively long periods without enjoying the weekly rest to which they are entitled.

Night work for women 

Article 3 of Convention No. 89. Prohibition on night work for women. Maternity protection. The Committee notes that, pursuant to section 109 of the BLA and section 103 of the BLR no women shall, without her consent, be allowed to work in an establishment between ten o’clock in the evening and six o’clock in the morning. It also notes that section 46 of the Bangladesh Export Processing Zone Labour Act, 2019 (EPZLA) provides that no female worker shall, without her consent and the consent of the Additional Inspector General of concerned Zone, be allowed to work in any enterprise between eight o’clock in the evening and six o‘clock in the morning. The Committee observes that there is no general prohibition against the employment of women at night, if they so consent. The Committee also observes that there are no provisions concerning the protection of women night workers, in relation to maternity. Recalling that pregnant and breastfeeding women may be particularly vulnerable to night work and emphasizing the importance of women night workers who are in this situation being provided with alternative work (2018 General Survey concerning working-time instruments, para. 545), the Committee requests the Government to provide further information on measures taken or envisaged to protect women night workers with regard to maternity. The Committee also recalls that Convention No. 89 will be open for denunciation between 27 February 2031 and 27 February 2032.

Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2025, published 114th ILC session (2026)

In order to provide a comprehensive view of the issues relating to the application of ratified Conventions on working time, the Committee considers it appropriate to examine Conventions Nos 1 (hours of work in industry), 14 (weekly rest in industry), and 106 (weekly rest in commerce and offices) together.

The Committee notes the observations of the Trade Union’s International Labour Standards Committee (TU-ILS Committee) with respect to all the above Conventions, received on 1 September 2025.

Hours of work

Article 6 of Convention No. 1. Permanent and temporary exceptions. Circumstances, limits to additional working hours and tripartite consultations. The Committee notes that under several provisions of the national legislation the limits on normal working hours (eight hours per day and 48 hours per week) may be exceeded by two hours per day within an overall weekly limit of 60 hours in a week and on average 56 hours per week in a year, provided that the worker concerned is remunerated at an overtime rate (sections 100 and 102(2) of the Bangladesh Labour Act, 2006 (BLA), section 99(1) of the Bangladesh Labour Rules, 2015 (BLR) and sections 238 and 40(2) of the Bangladesh Export Processing Zone Labour Act, 2019 (EPZLA)). The Committee observes that these provisions do not specify the circumstances under which the normal working hours may be exceeded.

The Committee also notes that under section 102(2) of the BLA and section 40(2) of the EPZLA, the Government may either relax the application of the normal weekly working hours’ limits in certain industries or totally exempt these industries from such limits for a maximum period of six months in the public interest or in the interest of economic development. The Committee observes that: (i) these provisions do not provide for the maximum number of additional hours that are permitted; and (ii) the circumstances prescribed therein do not fall under the circumstances provided for under the Convention. In its observations, the TU-ILS Committee indicates that section 102(2) of the BLA provides for the possibility of exemptions, without requiring tripartite consultations and that the Government has been issuing six-month exemptions under this section permitting extended working hours in the apparel and ready-made garment sector.

Recalling the impact that long hours of work can have on workers’ health and the balance between their personal and working life, the Committee emphasizes the importance of national legislation and practice restricting recourse to exemptions to cases of clear, well-defined and limited circumstances provided under Articles 3 and 6 of the Convention. The Committee also recalls that, pursuant to Article 6(2) of the Convention, regulations on additional hours shall fix the maximum number of additional hours in each instance and shall be made only after consultation with the organizations of employers and workers concerned. The Committee requests the Government to provide its comments with respect to the observations of the TU-ILS Committee. The Committee also requests the Government to take the necessary measures to ensure that: (i) overtime is allowed only under clear circumstances as required by the Convention; (ii) the maximum number of additional hours allowed is clearly set; and (iii) consultations are held with social partners when granting exceptions to ordinary limits of working hours. The Committee also requests the Government to provide information on these measures.

Weekly rest

Article 4 of Convention No. 14 and Articles 7(1) and (4) and 8(1) and (2) of Convention No. 106. Permanent and temporary exceptions. Circumstances. Tripartite consultations. The Committee notes that: (i) section 114(5) of the BLA provides for the exemption of a series of establishments from the rule of the closure of one-and-a-half days per week, without indicating the weekly rest schemes that applies for these establishments; (ii) section 104 of the BLA provides for the possibility of exempting an establishment, or the workers therein, from weekly rest through governmental orders, without specifying the circumstances under which these exemptions may be granted; (iii) section 324(1)(2) of the BLA provides for the possibility to exempt, through a Government notification, any employer or class of employers or any establishment or class of establishments or any part thereof or any worker or class of workers from the provisions of weekly rest in the public or national interest for a period not exceeding six months at a time; and (iv) section 324(3) of the BLA provides that the Inspector General may, by notification in the official Gazette, suspend the operation of weekly rest in respect of any establishment or class of establishments for the purpose of any festival, fair or exhibition, for any such period and on such conditions as may be specified in the notification. In its observations, the TU-ILS Committee indicates that there is no institutional process in place for consulting with employers’ and workers’ organizations on adjustments to weekly rest schemes or for approving special weekly rest schemes based on operational needs or service demands. It also indicates that there is need to develop sector-specific special rest schemes for industries where standard weekly rest cannot be uniformly applied. The Committee recalls that exceptions to weekly rest in the industrial sector should only be established having special regard to all proper humanitarian and economic considerations by virtue of Article 4(1) of Convention No. 14. The Committee emphasizes the importance of all authorized exceptions in the commerce and offices sectors to the normal 24-hour weekly rest period remaining limited to the cases enumerated in Articles 7(1) and 8(1) of Convention No. 106 and of paying due regard to all proper social and economic considerations. In addition, the Committee recalls that Article 4 of Convention No. 14 and Article 7(4) of Convention No. 106 require consultations with employers’ and workers’ organizations regarding the adoption of permanent and temporary exceptions. The Committee requests the Government to provide its comments with respect to the observations of the TU-ILS Committee and to provide detailed information in particular on how often the above provisions are applied in practice. The Committee requests the Government to take the necessary measures to ensure that: (i) all proper humanitarian and economic considerations are taken into account when authorizing exceptions in industry and that consultations are held with representative employers’ and workers’ organizations concerned; and (ii) temporary exemptions from the normal weekly rest scheme in commerce and offices are authorized in law and in practice only for the reasons specified in Articles 7(1) and 8(1) of Convention No. 106. The Committee also requests the Government to provide more detailed explanations on the special weekly rest schemes applicable to the workers exempted under section 114(5) of the BLA.

Application in practice

Articles 2 and 8(1) of Convention No. 1, Articles 2(1) and 5 of Convention No. 14 and Articles 6(1), 7(2) and 8(3) of Convention No. 106. Normal hours of work. Posting of notices and record keeping. Weekly rest. Compensatory rest. Application of working time legislation in practice. The Committee notes that in its observations, the TU-ILS Committee indicates that: (i) concerning hours of work, and despite clear legal limits on working hours, there is inadequate implementation and enforcement, with workers in industries such as tannery, printing and binding, construction and transport often working excessively long hours; (ii) working hours, both normal and overtime, are not clearly posted in subcontracting factories, and small establishments and records are often poorly maintained, falsified and rarely audited, particularly in the informal sector; workers in the apparel and ready-made garment factories often receive rest only every 15 days or more and sometimes work up to 30 consecutive days, facing penalties if they refuse to work on rest days; similar issues occur in banking, factories, malls, pharmacies and tourism; and (iii) the right to a compensatory rest day is frequently violated in practice across various sectors, including tanneries, printing and binding, bakeries, tourism, small shops and malls, where workers often do not receive any compensatory rest. The Committee also notes that the TU-ILS Committee indicates that stronger labour inspection and enforcement mechanisms, including regular and unannounced inspections in vulnerable sectors, need to be carried out and penalties for non-compliance with the relevant obligations need to be imposed. The Committee recalls that without the effective notification and recording of working time and rest periods, it is not possible to assess compliance with the relevant standards. It emphasizes the importance of ensuring that effective mechanisms are in place to guarantee compliance with working-time provisions, primarily through labour inspection and the application of dissuasive penalties for non-compliance as well as through the other mechanisms (2018 General Survey concerning working-time instruments, para. 876). The Committee requests the Government to provide its comments with respect to the TU-ILS Committee’s observations. It also requests the Government to take the necessary measures to ensure that the provisions of the Conventions on hours of work and weekly rest are applied in practice, including measures taken to ensure the enforcement activities in sectors facing challenges.

The Committee is raising other matters in a request addressed directly to the Government.

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2013, published 103rd ILC session (2014)

Articles 2, 4 and 5 of the Convention. Weekly rest day – Total and partial exceptions – Compensatory rest. The Committee requests the Government to refer to the comments made under Articles 2, 6, 7 and 8 of the Weekly Rest (Commerce and Offices) Convention, 1957 (No. 106).

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2008, published 98th ILC session (2009)

The Committee notes with interest the adoption of the Labour Act, 2006 (Act No. XLII of 2006), which repeals the Factories Act, 1965 (Act No. IV of 1965) that previously gave effect to the provisions of the Convention.

Article 2, paragraphs 2 and 3, of the Convention. Weekly rest day. The Committee notes that under section 114(2) of the Labour Act, 2006, the one-and-a-half days on which establishments must remain closed is fixed for each area by the chief inspector who may from time to time reschedule such days for each area in the public interest. The Committee requests the Government to clarify how it is ensured that the weekly rest, wherever possible, is granted simultaneously to the whole of the staff of each undertaking and coincides with the days already established by the traditions or customs, as required by this Article of the Convention. It also asks the Government to specify how the day of weekly rest is fixed for road transport service workers.

Article 4. Total and partial exceptions. The Committee notes that under section 114(5) of the Labour Act, 2006, the normal weekly rest scheme does not apply to (i) docks, wharves or stations and terminal offices of transport services including airports, and (ii) any industry, business or undertaking which supplies power, light or water to the public. It also notes that under section 104 of the Labour Act, where, as a result of the passing of an order or the making of a rule exempting an establishment, or the workers therein, from the provisions of section 103, a worker is deprived of any of the weekly holidays, he/she must be allowed, as soon as circumstances permit, compensatory holidays of equal duration. As the Labour Act does not elaborate on the grounds on which exemption orders and rules may be issued, the Committee requests the Government to specify how it is ensured that all proper humanitarian and economic considerations are taken into account and that consultations are held with responsible associations of employers and workers, as required by this Article of the Convention.

Article 5. Compensatory rest. The Committee notes that persons working on a weekly rest day are granted compensatory rest as soon as circumstances permit. It observes, in this regard, that weekly rest being essential to the worker’s health and well-being, it should be avoided that persons work for long periods without receiving the rest days to which they are entitled. The Committee requests the Government to provide additional explanations in this regard.

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2003, published 92nd ILC session (2004)

Please see comments under the Weekly Rest (Commerce and Offices) Convention, 1957 (No. 106).