ACCUMULATION BY DISPOSSESSION: STATE OF LABOUR IN BANGLADESH
Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir
Bangladesh has witnessed a parallel process of economic growth driven by, and associated dispossession of, labour. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has been lifted to a decadal average of six percent in recent time. The country has also moved forward in the realm of social indicators, despite a third person living below the so-called poverty line. The labour has chiefly powered accumulation by way of low-priced-labour-centred-export, remittance from migrant workers, tripling of food production by small-and-marginal farmers and being the bulk of consumers in consumption-driven increments of GDP. Despite labour remaining in the heart of such development, labourers are dispossessed by a number of ways. Against this backdrop, the key question is: can this type of accumulation by dispossession enable the economy to a sustainable path required to create gainful employment, reduce poverty and shrink inequality?
DYNAMICS OF LABOUR FORCE
Jayanta Kumar Basak
One of the principal development challenges for Bangladesh is the creation of employment for the new entrants into the labour force1 and a great many who are currently underemployed2. The labour force is growing at almost twice than the rate of growth in population (Titumir and Hossain, 2003). This relationship is likely to persist over the next two decades or longer (World Bank, 2006). Moreover, the decrease of growth in population is more than offset by the increased rates of participation. According to Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (2010), the labour force increased at 42.6 percent between 1991 and 2005 for the entire population, with an increase of 31.7 percent for male and 126.5 percent for female. This chapter seeks to provide an understanding on the issues and options included in broad sector of employment and employed population by major occupation, level of education, occupation by sector of employment, employment by industry, status in employment etc. Moreover, the chapter explores the changing pattern of labour market in different points of view for both male and female workers.
INFORMAL LABOUR FORCE
Md. Ayub Ali
Informal sector is a vital surmise in the development area, especially in developing countries like Bangladesh. When growing population is not provided with enough job opportunities by the formal sector, they engage themselves in small scale, micro level production and distribution of goods and services in the informal sector. Transformation of the economic policy in the surroundings flourishes this informalisation in the labour market. Moreover, target of more benefit from the firms by manufacturer undermine the working condition of employee in the organisation. However, lack of job opportunities that push people to work in the informal economy conceal the bargaining power of labour, downward their wages and undermine their social protections. This work deficit condition not only exists in Bangladesh but also in worldwide (ILO, 2012).
LABOUR AND RIGHTS
Tauhid Hossain Khan
Labour is the source of all wealth, the political economists assert. And it really is the source—next to nature, which supplies it with the material that it converts into wealth. But, it is even infinitely more than this. It is the prime basic condition for all human existence, and this to such an extent that, in a sense, we have to say that labour created man himself (Frederic Engels , cited in Mishra, 2012:1).
This chapter examines the United Nations (UN) conventions regarding labour rights and Bangladesh Labour Laws. In addition, this chapter assesses the status of ratification of UN conventions by Bangladesh. It also investigates the practices of labour laws in Bangladesh.
