Workplace Harassment Law in Bangladesh 2026: Harassment, Discrimination, Safety, Injury Compensation and Child Labour

Workplace harassment law Bangladesh: the 2026 framework

Workplace harassment law Bangladesh employers must apply in 2026 is no longer a court guideline and a one-line section of the Labour Act. The Bangladesh Labour (Amendment) Act 2026 defines sexual harassment, imposes a written prevention policy, requires a five-member complaint committee in every establishment and prohibits direct and indirect discrimination with the burden of proof on the employer.[2] The 2009 High Court guidelines still govern wherever the Labour Act does not, and a standalone harassment ordinance approved in January 2026 has yet to become law.[4] [7]

Harassment is one strand of a single compliance file. This guide covers the five regimes that decide how a Bangladeshi workplace treats people: sexual harassment, discrimination (including disability and maternity), occupational safety, compensation for injury and death, and child labour, with what changed in 2026 and the mistakes that turn one incident into a prosecution.

Summary: Bangladesh regulates workplace conduct through the Labour Act 2006 as amended by Act No 43 of 2026, the Constitution, the Rights and Protection of Persons with Disabilities Act 2013 and the 2009 High Court guidelines. Employers must run a harassment policy and complaint committee, avoid direct and indirect discrimination, meet the safety duties in Chapters V to VIII, compensate work injuries under Chapter XII and never employ a child under 14 or an adolescent in hazardous work.

Key point: New section 332A requires every employer to form a five-member complaint committee for discrimination, violence and harassment, with a female majority from within the establishment, a woman as head and two members from organisations working on gender and sexual violence. Breach carries a fine of Tk 20,000 to Tk 50,000 under new section 307A.

At a glance

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Table of Contents

What workplace harassment law Bangladesh covers in 2026

There is no single statute. The Constitution guarantees equality and equal opportunity in public employment.[3] The Bangladesh Labour Act 2006, as amended by Act No 43 of 2026 dated 10 April 2026, carries the detailed duties on harassment, discrimination, safety, injury and child labour.[2] Rule 361A of the Labour Rules 2015, added in 2022, supplies procedure on sexual harassment, while sections 354 and 509 of the Penal Code and the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act 2000 provide the criminal backstop.[5] The wider 2026 reform is explained in our guide to labour law in Bangladesh.

Who the Labour Act protects

A "worker" now includes apprentices and anyone employed directly or through a contractor, but excludes persons appointed in writing to managerial, administrative or supervisory roles.[2] The 2026 Act removed the exclusion of non-profit care institutions, hospitals and clinics, and extended Chapters XII to XIV, on injury compensation, unions and disputes, to domestic workers and to workers on farms with fewer than five workers.[1] [2] Government offices remain outside the Act, and export processing zones follow the separate EPZ Labour Act 2019.

The 2009 High Court guidelines in BNWLA v Bangladesh

On 14 May 2009 a Division Bench of Justices Syed Mahmud Hossain and Kamrul Islam Siddiqui decided Writ Petition No 5916 of 2008, brought by the Bangladesh National Women Lawyers' Association.[4] Finding no legislation on sexual harassment, the court issued guidelines for all public and private workplaces and educational institutions, to be treated as law until Parliament legislated.[5]

Every workplace must have a committee to receive complaints, investigate and recommend action, with at least five members, most of them women, a woman as head where possible and two members from outside, preferably from organisations working on gender and sexual abuse.[4] The guidelines also address confidentiality, investigation timelines and awareness, and a 2011 BNWLA judgment extended protection to stalking, including unwanted electronic contact.[5]

Why the guidelines still matter

Compliance has been poor: a 2022 BNWLA survey found harassment committees in only 39 per cent of workplaces examined.[5] Yet the guidelines reach further than the Labour Act. They bind government offices and educational institutions and protect managers excluded from the definition of worker, so banks, NGOs and corporate head offices applying workplace harassment law Bangladesh should run a committee that satisfies both regimes.

Sexual harassment under the Labour Act after 2026

Before 2026 the Act said only that no one could behave towards a woman worker in a way that was indecent or repugnant to her modesty.[1] That rule survives as section 332(2), but the 2026 Act built a full regime around it, closely tracking ILO Convention No 190.[2]

The new definitions

Section 2(52A) lists thirteen forms of sexual harassment, including unwelcome physical contact, using institutional power to seek a sexual relationship, showing pornography, sexually coloured remarks, stalking, suggestive writing or drawings, recording images for blackmail, threats after a rejected proposal and quid pro quo harassment, plus conduct that creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive working environment.[2] Section 2(79) defines violence and harassment as conduct likely to cause physical, psychological, sexual or economic harm, and section 2(12B) covers gender-based violence and harassment.[2] Harassment by a co-worker, supervisor, client or visitor is within the employer's duty.

The section 332 duties

Replaced section 332(1) requires the employer to keep the workplace free of hostility, publicise the prohibitions and penalties, adopt and implement a written policy against violence and harassment, treat harassment and psychosocial risk as part of safety management, assess and control the risks, train workers, publish the reporting and complaint procedure on the workplace website, and take effective steps to bring legal cases for sexual harassment.[2] Section 332 has no dedicated penalty, so breach falls under replaced section 307: up to three months' imprisonment, a fine of Tk 25,000 to Tk 50,000, or both.[2]

The section 332A complaint committee

New section 332A requires every employer to form a five-member complaint settlement committee for discrimination, violence and harassment, with a majority of women from within the establishment, a woman as head and two members from organisations working on gender and sexual violence. The committee must investigate every complaint, follow a zero-tolerance policy, protect confidentiality and dignity, and act on a written complaint in the manner prescribed by rules.[2] Breach is punishable under section 307A by a fine of Tk 20,000 to Tk 50,000, and there is no headcount threshold.[2]

The external members are the contested part. Garment employers objected to outsiders inside factories, and the draft standalone harassment law made them optional, but the Labour Act as enacted kept them mandatory.[4] [2] Appoint them from credible organisations, record confidentiality undertakings and keep replacements on standby.

Connecting the committee to discipline

The committee investigates; the employer disciplines. For a worker, section 24 requires a written charge, at least seven days to explain, a hearing and a finding by an enquiry committee with equal employer and worker representatives, concluded within sixty days.[1] Harassment is not a listed act of misconduct in section 23(4), so approved service rules should make it one. A dismissal that skips section 24 will not survive a section 33 grievance, however strong the evidence. Under workplace harassment law Bangladesh courts apply, procedure decides as many cases as facts. The sequence below is how we advise clients to handle a complaint; committee formation and minutes are covered in our labour law compliance guide.

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The draft sexual harassment prevention ordinance

On 29 January 2026 the interim government's Council of Advisers approved the draft Prevention of Sexual Harassment at the Workplace and Educational Institutions Ordinance 2026. Its twenty sections cover physical, verbal, non-verbal and online conduct, require an internal complaint committee in every workplace and educational institution, with local committees through district and upazila administrations where that is not feasible, and set a 90-day limit for investigations. Sanctions run from reprimand to termination, and retaliation is prohibited.[6]

The ordinance was not promulgated before the elected Parliament took office, and in August 2026 women's rights groups were still demanding that it be enacted.[7] Until a bill is passed, workplace harassment law Bangladesh applies through sections 332 and 332A and the 2009 guidelines. Policies drafted now should already accommodate a 90-day investigation limit and online harassment.

Employer liability under workplace harassment law Bangladesh

One incident can open four tracks. First, regulatory: failure to run the committee is an offence under section 307A, and other section 332 failures under section 307. DIFE inspectors may now inspect with or without notice, must keep a complainant's identity confidential, and a worker treated with hostility for complaining may go to the Labour Court under section 319A.[2]

Second, criminal liability of the harasser under the Penal Code or the 2000 Act, which section 332(1) now obliges the employer to support by preserving evidence and never pressing a complainant to drop a police case.[5] Third, employment remedies: a complainant who is dismissed or penalised can bring a section 33 grievance for reinstatement, and section 345B treats harassment as direct discrimination.[1] [2] Fourth, for public bodies outside the Labour Act, a writ under Article 102 enforcing the 2009 guidelines, handled by our constitutional and writ litigation practice. The Labour Court guide covers procedure.

Employment discrimination in Bangladesh

Article 27 of the Constitution declares all citizens equal before the law. Article 28 bars State discrimination on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth and guarantees women equal rights in public life, while Article 29 guarantees equality of opportunity in public employment.[3] These bind public employers directly; for private employers the 2026 Act now does the work, and workplace harassment law Bangladesh and equality law share one complaint committee.

Sections 345 to 345B

Replaced section 345 requires equal pay for men, women and workers with disabilities for work of equal nature or value. New section 345A prohibits any distinction, exclusion or preference based on race, colour, sex, gender identity, religion, political opinion, nationality, social status, descent or disability that impairs equality of opportunity or treatment.[2] Genuine job requirements, security measures and positive action for disadvantaged groups are not discrimination. Section 345B bans direct and indirect discrimination and, critically, puts the burden on the employer to prove that less favourable treatment was not discriminatory and that a contested rule was reasonable.[2] Record job-related reasons for hiring, pay and promotion decisions at the time they are made.

Disability, women's work and maternity

The Rights and Protection of Persons with Disabilities Act 2013 gives persons with disabilities a right to employment in the public and private sectors and to reasonable accommodation, and section 35 bars denying suitable work because of disability.[8] Labour Act section 44 bars only dangerous machine and hazardous work, and section 87 still applies the adolescent hazardous-work restrictions to women; neither justifies wider exclusion.[1]

Maternity leave is now 60 days before and 60 days after delivery, with the benefit based on the last monthly gross wage divided by 26.[2] It requires six months' prior service and is not payable to a woman with two or more surviving children; termination without sufficient cause in the six months before or 60 days after delivery does not defeat it.[1] Depriving a woman of the benefit now carries a fine of Tk 50,000 to Tk 1 lakh.[2] Payroll treatment is in our employee benefits guide.

Workplace safety duties under Chapters V to VIII

Chapter V (sections 51 to 60) requires cleanliness, ventilation, dust and fume control, lighting, drinking water and adequate toilets. Chapter VI (sections 61 to 78A) covers dangerous buildings and machinery, fire safety, guarding, lifting gear and personal protective equipment. Section 62 requires an alternative staircase, firefighting equipment on every floor, exit doors that open outwards and are never locked during work, and a fire drill every six months where 50 or more are employed.[1]

New section 61A forbids compelling a worker to continue work he has reported as seriously dangerous, bars discipline of a worker who withdraws from imminent danger, and lets the employer move workers to safer work on the same pay.[2] Chapter VII governs notice of accidents and diseases and inspector powers. Chapter VIII requires first-aid boxes for every 150 workers, a sick room at 300, a welfare officer at 500 and a medical centre at 5,000, and section 89(7) makes the employer pay for treatment of a work injury or occupational disease until the worker is cured.[1] Safety committees are now required in every establishment of 50 or more workers.[2] Registers and committee mechanics are in our compliance guide.

OSH policy, DIFE and the post-Rana Plaza framework

The collapse of Rana Plaza on 24 April 2013, which killed at least 1,138 people, reshaped safety regulation.[10] In October 2013 the cabinet approved a National Occupational Health and Safety Policy setting the obligations of owners, workers and government.[9] DIFE enforces the safety chapters and can order repairs, prohibit dangerous plant and prosecute in the Labour Court.[1] [2]

For export garment factories, the brand-union Accord now operates as the Bangladesh Safety Agreement under the International Accord, implemented by the RMG Sustainability Council. At 30 September 2026 it covered 1,766 factories and 2.8 million workers for 248 brands, with fire, electrical and structural inspections, safety committee training and a complaints mechanism.[10] Outside garments, the record is worse: the OSHE Foundation counted at least 1,190 workplace deaths in 2025, up from 905, with transport leading.[11] Our occupational safety and health practice runs pre-inspection audits.

Workers' compensation for injury and death in Bangladesh

Chapter XII makes the employer liable, without proof of fault, for bodily injury from an accident arising out of and in the course of employment, and listed occupational diseases count as injuries.[1] There is no liability where disablement lasts three days or less or, in non-fatal cases, where the injury was caused by drink or drugs, wilful disobedience of a safety rule or wilful removal of a safety guard.[1]

New section 2(19A) defines an accident as a sudden event at work, or outside it on duty or under the employer's control, causing bodily injury, mental trauma or death. Commuting accidents are now expressly outside section 150 liability.[2]

Fifth Schedule amounts after 2026

The 2026 Act replaced the First, Second and Third Schedules, including the injury percentages and the occupational disease list, but not the Fifth Schedule.[2] Compensation therefore remains Tk 2,00,000 on death and Tk 2,50,000 for permanent total disablement whatever the wage, a percentage of that sum for partial disablement, and, for temporary disablement after four days, full wages for two months, two-thirds for two more and half thereafter, for up to a year.[1]

The death sum is additional to termination benefits. Section 19 adds 45 days' wages per year of service, or gratuity if higher, for a death at work, and its qualifying service fell from two years to one in 2026.[1] [2]

Claims and deposits

Death compensation must be deposited with the Labour Court unless paid to a properly nominated heir; advances to dependants are allowed, and funeral and treatment costs are not deducted.[1] Notice must be given as soon as practicable and the claim made within two years of the accident or death, though the court may admit late claims for sufficient reason. A Labour Court claim and a civil suit for damages are mutually exclusive.[1] Separately, section 309 punishes a breach causing death with up to four years' imprisonment, a fine of up to Tk 1 lakh, or both, and the fine may be paid to the heirs.[1]

The Employment Injury Scheme

New section 151A lets the government establish an Employment Injury Scheme Fund and apply it to notified sectors, after which employer liability under section 150 ceases there.[2] The export garment pilot is explained in our social security guide. A separate EPZ pilot launched on 26 February 2025, began paying on 14 September 2025 and covers workplace and commuting accidents; in June 2026 BEPZA and the ILO committed to a permanent EPZ scheme by 2027.[12] Until a sector is notified, Chapter XII applies and the exposure should be insured.

Child labour law in Bangladesh

A child is a person under 14 and an adolescent a person aged 14 to 17. No child may be employed, and no parent may contract a child out to work.[1] Bangladesh ratified ILO Convention No 138 on minimum age on 22 March 2022.[13]

Adolescent workers and hazardous work

An adolescent needs a medical fitness certificate, valid for twelve months and paid for by the employer, and disputed age is decided on a birth registration, school or medical certificate.[1] Adolescents may not do hazardous work, work underground or underwater, or work at dangerous machines without training. In factories they may work five hours a day and thirty a week, elsewhere seven and 42, and never between 7 pm and 7 am.[1] The hazardous work list declared under section 39 was expanded from 38 to 43 occupations by 2022, and campaigners want domestic work added.[13] [14]

What the 2026 amendment changed

The 2026 Act left the ages and Chapter III rules intact but raised the fine for employing a child or adolescent unlawfully from up to Tk 5,000 to Tk 20,000 to Tk 50,000, and for a parent's unlawful agreement to Tk 5,000 to Tk 10,000.[2] Domestic workers now fall within Chapters XII to XIV but not Chapter III.[2]

The 2022 national survey found 1.78 million children in child labour, 1.07 million in hazardous work. The 2025 elimination target was missed, a draft National Plan of Action resets it to 2030, and eight sectors, including export garments, tanneries and shipbreaking, are declared child-labour-free.[14] Exporters should verify ages at subcontractors, because that is what buyers audit.

Comparing the five regimes

The table summarises how the regimes fit together after 2026. On a phone, scroll it sideways.

Workplace harassment law Bangladesh mistakes to avoid

• A paper committee: a section 332A committee without external members or meetings is a breach.
• No published procedure: section 332 requires it on the workplace website.
• Treating harassment as private: discouraging a police complaint is evidence against the employer.
• Skipping section 24: a harasser dismissed without enquiry may be reinstated.
• Ignoring managers: the 2009 guidelines protect them.
• Undocumented decisions: section 345B puts the burden of justification on the employer.
• Paying death compensation directly: it belongs with the Labour Court unless a heir was nominated.
• Accepting age declarations: section 36 requires documentary proof.

What to watch in 2026 and 2027

Watch for rules under section 332A fixing committee procedure, a decision on bringing the harassment ordinance to Parliament as a bill, sector notifications under section 151A as injury insurance moves towards 2027, and the final National Plan of Action on child labour.[12] [14] Each will change how employers comply with workplace harassment law Bangladesh in practice. TRW drafts policies, constitutes and trains committees, runs investigations and defends DIFE and compensation claims: see our employment law compliance practice or contact TRW.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a specific workplace harassment law in Bangladesh?

Not a standalone statute. Workplace harassment law Bangladesh applies through sections 2(52A), 332 and 332A of the Labour Act as amended in 2026, the 2009 High Court guidelines and the criminal law. The January 2026 draft ordinance had not become law by August 2026.[2] [7]

Who must sit on a harassment complaint committee?

Five members: a majority of women from within the establishment, a woman as head, and two members from organisations working on gender and sexual violence.[2]

Do the 2009 High Court guidelines still apply?

Yes, until Parliament enacts a dedicated law. They matter most for government offices, educational institutions and managers outside the Labour Act.[4] [5]

What is the penalty for not forming a complaint committee?

A fine of Tk 20,000 to Tk 50,000 under section 307A. Other section 332 failures attract up to three months' imprisonment, a fine of Tk 25,000 to Tk 50,000, or both.[2]

Which grounds of discrimination does the Labour Act prohibit?

Race, colour, sex, gender identity, religion, political opinion, nationality, social status, descent and disability, both directly and indirectly.[2]

How long is maternity leave after 2026?

Sixty days before and sixty days after delivery, with at least six months' prior service required.[1] [2]

How much compensation is payable for a workplace death?

Tk 2,00,000 under the unchanged Fifth Schedule, plus section 19 death compensation and any group insurance.[1] [2]

What is the time limit for a compensation claim?

Two years from the accident or death, after prompt notice; the Labour Court may admit late claims for sufficient reason.[1]

Are commuting accidents covered?

Not under the Labour Act since 2026, although the Employment Injury Scheme pilots cover them.[2] [12]

What is the minimum working age in Bangladesh?

Fourteen. Adolescents aged 14 to 17 need a fitness certificate, have restricted hours and may not do hazardous work.[1]