Bangladesh Employers’ Federation (BEF), in collaboration with the ILO, Country Office for Bangladesh and Chittagong Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CWCCI), Chattogram, organized a day-long “Awareness Raising Session on Employment Formalization (Formal Enterprises)” on 3rd March 2026 at Conference Hall, CWCCI, Agrabad, Chattogram.
In the session, 11 formal enterprises actively engaged and shared how they manage formal employment in practice. Using the discussion structure from the presentation, they described their workforce size and the main facilities and policies they provide to employees—such as leave provisions, bonuses/performance incentives, workplace safety measures, availability of women’s washrooms, written job contracts, medical support, insurance coverage, and longer-term benefits (e.g., pension/provident fund where applicable). The discussion also explored whether these provisions are improving employee motivation and productivity and supporting business growth through stronger retention, better work discipline, and fewer disputes, while highlighting remaining gaps and challenges (including cost constraints, uneven implementation, and limitations in extending medical/insurance coverage).
The program was facilitated by Mr. Joha Rahman, Head of Training, BEF who outlined the training objectives and expected outcomes, utilizing participatory methods to engage attendees in an interactive learning experience.
The inaugural session was chaired by Mr. Ruman Ishtiak, Project Officer, ILO Dhaka Office, who welcomed participants and opened the discussion with insights from the private sector on why formalization matters. Ms. Abida Mustafa, President, CWCCI and Ms. Ivy Hasan, Former Vice President, CWCCI joined the session as observer and provide valuable remarks to the participants. Mr. Ishtiak highlighted that formal employment (e.g., written contracts, clear roles, structured HR practices, safer workplaces and benefits) can generate tangible business returns by improving productivity, reducing staff turnover, lowering workplace disputes, strengthening quality and compliance/audit readiness, and enhancing reputation and buyer/market access.
The session was designed for following sectors like Plastic, Leather, Agro-processing, RMG (Export-oriented), Pharmaceuticals, construction, medical and Aquaculture/Shrimp. This program was intended for HR professionals from formal enterprises in Chattogram region. A total of 18 participants from priority industry sectors availed of this unique learning opportunity.
