The Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) and YPSA jointly celebrate the National Occupational Health and Safety Day 2024 in Chattogram on Sunday. The theme of this year’s celebration was “Healthy Workers, Beautiful Work Environment, Building a Smart Bangladesh.” The program was held at the Chattogram Zila Shilpokola Academy.
The chief guest of the event was Additional Deputy Commissioner (Education and ICT) Md. Sadi Ur Rahim Javed, who represented the Divisional Commissioner.
The special guests included Md. Giyas Uddin, Director, Divisional Labor Department, Chattogram; Bakhtiar Uddin Khan, President, Chattogram Mohanagar Sramik League; Safar Ali, Co-President, Central Sramik League; Fauzul Imran Khan, Director, BKMEA; Raqibul Alam Chowdhury, President, BGMEA; and Mohammad Ali Shahin, Coordinator, YPSA.
The program began with a colorful rally from the Shilpokola Academy premises, followed by a discussion meeting at the Shilpokola Milanayatan with the participation of all levels of stakeholders.
In his speech as the chief guest, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Education and ICT) Md. Sadi Ur Rahim Javed said that more importance should be given to the safety and occupational health of workers. He added that if workers are safe, industrial development will accelerate, which plays an important role in the development of the country. He also mentioned that at present 60% of the workers in the country are women, and if they can be properly trained, the country will be able to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) much faster.
In his speech as the chairman, the Inspector General of Factories and Establishment Inspection department, Mr. Shipan Chowdhury said that recently 1098 factories in Chattogram region have been inspected to ensure health and safety, including 586 factories in the first phase and 512 factories in the second phase.
YPSA Coordinator Mohammad Ali Shahin said that safety comes first. He added that YPSA has been working in coordination with the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments for a long time to train workers on safety issues and to ensure workers’ rights. He also stressed the need to transform workers into a skilled workforce to ensure smart safety and build a Smart Bangladesh.
The discussion meeting was also attended by representatives of various establishments, labor representatives, NGO representatives, and 400 workers.
Key takeaways from the event:
- The importance of occupational health and safety for workers and industrial development was emphasized.
- The government is committed to ensuring the safety of workers and improving their working conditions.
- More needs to be done to train workers and raise awareness about safety issues.
- The private sector has a role to play in ensuring safe workplaces.
