"Bangladesh ratifies ILO’s minimum age convention", 22 March 2022

Bangladesh on Tuesday ratified the International Labour Organisation’s minimum age convention 138, setting 14 years as minimum age for admission to employment...

This ratification was a part of the government’s commitment under the National Action Plan on the Labour Sector of Bangladesh (2021-2026)...

With this ratification, Bangladesh has now ratified all eight of ILO’s ‘Fundamental Conventions’ covering social and labour issues that are considered fundamental to rights at work, according to a ILO press release.

Convention No 138 requires Bangladesh to set a minimum age under which no one will be admitted to employment or work in any occupation, allowing to establish exceptions only for children in light work and artistic performances, it said...

ILO Convention 138 sets the minimum age to enter the workforce at 15 years of age but it also gives countries the opportunity to establish, in consultation with organisations of workers and employers, the minimum age at 14, which Bangladesh has elected to do, reaffirming the age limit enshrined in current Bangladeshi legislation.

Following the ratification, Bangladesh will need to ensure in law and in practice that the minimum age of entry into work or employment in selected sectors, both in formal and informal economy, is not below 14 years of age. 

The other significant changes include the need to align the age of compulsory school education with that of entry into the workforce, the release said.

This change would be in line with the national education policy which recommends free and compulsory education up to grade 8 instead of existing grade 5.