Core area “Sustainable economic development, training and employment” Improving working conditions and training opportunities

The Bangladesh government wants to create job opportunities for its growing population and push forward the training of skilled workers. German development cooperation activities here build on existing measures to train and upskill workers in the textile sector and are helping to develop new vocational training opportunities in the field of renewable energies.

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Feminist development policy Internal link

Germany is supporting efforts to achieve a socio-economic transition of Bangladesh's economy with a view to improving working conditions and safety standards for employees in Bangladesh’s textile sector. In addition, in keeping with the concept of a feminist development policy, there is a special focus on promoting women’s participation.

Germany, with support from the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Netherlands, is advising the Government of Bangladesh on how to put in place a system of accident insurance for people working in the manufacturing of textiles, clothing and leather goods. In addition, financial institutions and textiles factories are being helped with investing in occupational and environmental safety measures and are being advised on how best to make use of available offers of information and advanced training.

To assist Bangladesh universities and vocational training institutions in their efforts to align their courses better to the needs of sustainable textile production, networking with German universities and the inclusion of the private sector are being supported. In addition, Germany is helping Bangladesh to train state-approved health and safety inspectors and to ensure the proper disposal of industrial waste and sewage.

Bangladesh has only a few years left to prepare its economy for the challenges the country will be facing once it graduates from the group of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) in 2026 and once the trade privileges granted by the EU come to an end – which will probably happen in 2029. Great deficits also continue to exist in the social sector, for instance with regard to implementing the ILO conventions.

The economic growth of the past few years created scope for investment, which was supported by the government’s market-friendly reform course. However, the proactive industrial development and the rapid expansion of energy production occurred at the expense of environmental sustainability.

With economic growth returning after the slump caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020/2021, there is an opportunity for socio-ecological transformation of the economy in Bangladesh but there are also risks.