Most human rights organisations don't speak up for workers, says Advisor Farida

The advisor calls for prioritising workers' rights in the Constitution

Fisheries and Livestock Advisor Farida Akhter has said most organisations working on human rights in Bangladesh do not speak up for workers' rights.

Speaking at a dialogue organised by the Bangladesh Agricultural Farm Labour Federation, or BAFLF, in Dhaka's Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific, or CIRDAP, auditorium on Monday, she compared the situation to human rights violations.

The advisor said, "The rights of workers must come first in the Constitution. We must work towards improving conditions for workers, starting with whatever we can do.

“While the exploitation of garment workers and many others is visible to us, the exploitation of agricultural workers remains unseen.”

Farida expressed concern about the impact of modern machinery on agricultural workers, particularly with the introduction of harvester machines.

She said, “The previous government focused on modernising agriculture and introduced harvester machines, claiming that farmers' wages were high. As a result, farmers are becoming unemployed.

The advisor also raised concerns about the use of weedicides for weed control, urging caution regarding the dangers of such practices.

She said, "Women are mixing pesticides, and farmers are spraying them. No corrective measures are being taken, and this requires urgent attention.

“Therefore, we should focus on prevention and remediation."

Farida also called for changes to the Agricultural Farm Worker Recruitment and Control Policy, 2017, to strengthen workers' rights.