44 domestic helps tortured in 2020

In 2020, a total of 44 domestic workers were subjected to various forms of torture in Bangladesh. 

Of them, 16 people were killed, including 12 mysterious deaths. 12 people were raped, 12 were severely tortured due to physical injuries and four committed suicide, said a press release. 

The data were presented in a virtual meeting titled "Workplace conditions and legal protections for domestic workers in 2020" jointly arranged by Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS),  Mass Literacy Campaign, Halotask, Nari Maitree, Red Orange and USEP Bangladesh under Oxfam in Bangladesh and Global Affairs Canada-funded 'Suniti' project on the rights, dignity and protection of domestic workers. 

While presenting the keynote paper, BILS Director and Domestic Workers' Rights Network Bangladesh (DWRN) Member Secretary Najma Yasmin highlighted the findings of the BILS survey on the basis of daily newspapers.

She noted that the Domestic Workers Welfare Policy needs to be re-examined considering the inclusion of domestic workers in labour laws, determination of their working hours, and opportunity for workers rest and the right to organise.

Kazi Saifuddin Ahmed, labour adviser of the Bangladesh Employers Federation, said workers would not be benefitted if the Domestic Workers Protection and Welfare Policy could not be turned into law.

ABM Khorshed Alam, Consultant and Former Additional Secretary of the World Bank, Kazi Abdul Hannan, President of Bangladesh Labor Rights Journalist Forum, Shaheen Akhtar Dolly, Executive Director of Nari Nari Maitree, Md Yusuf Al Mamun, Deputy Director and Project Coordinator of BILS addressed the meeting.