High Court seeks explanation over lack of mandatory registration for domestic workers

The rule comes after a writ petition hearing, filed in response to the murder of a mother and daughter by their domestic worker

The High Court has issued a rule asking why domestic worker registration should not be made mandatory across the country.

The court also asked why the “inaction” of authorities in enforcing provisions of the Domestic Servants Registration Ordinance, 1961 should not be declared illegal.

The bench of Justice Razik-Al-Jalil and Justice Debasish Roy Chowdhury passed the order on Sunday after an initial hearing of a writ petition, asking the respondents to reply within four weeks.

The writ was filed in the public interest by Supreme Court lawyer Khadijatul Kobra.

Secretaries of the ministries of law, labour and employment, women and children affairs, home affairs, and the director general of the Department of Labour have been made respondents.

The petition says a large number of domestic workers in Bangladesh are employed without formal legal protection, contracts, or identification.

Although the government adopted the Domestic Workers Protection and Welfare Policy in 2015, no effective system for registration, monitoring, or enforcement has been implemented.

It also notes that the 1961 ordinance includes provisions for mandatory registration, issuance of registration cards, and restrictions on employment without registration, but the law has not been expanded nationwide and remains largely ineffective.

The petition highlights that the absence of a central digital database prevents employers from verifying workers’ identities and past records, hindering police investigations in criminal cases.

It refers to a recent incident in Mohammadpur where a domestic worker has been accused of killing a woman and her daughter, Laila Afroze and Nafisa Nawal Binte Aziz.

The petitioner urged the court to direct authorities to introduce a mandatory registration system linked to NID cards, create a central digital database under the labour ministry, and ensure effective background checks.

It also recommended district-level monitoring to safeguard workers’ rights, ensure legal protection, and address complaints.