Study Dissemination Session: Just Transition Convention Bangladesh 2025

The Study Dissemination session of the Just Transition Convention Bangladesh 2025 on ‘Climate Change Impacts on the RMG, Leather, Leather Goods and Footwear Sectors: Implications for Workers and Industry with Pathways to a Just Transition’-showcased critical research on climate vulnerability and workplace risks in Bangladesh’s RMG, Leather, Leather Goods, and Footwear sectors.

The session was led by Dr. Md. Shakhaoat Hossain, Lead Researcher, Associate Professor & Head of the ACH Unit, Department of Public Health and Informatics, Jahangirnagar University, with Mir Mohammad Ali (Assistant Professor, Sher-e- Bangla Agricultural University) as moderator.

Key panelists included Razequzzaman Ratan (President, Samajtantrik Sramik Front), Dr. Michael Klode (Head of Project, Programme for Sustainability in the Textile Sector, STILE II), Kutubuddin Ahmed (President, IndustriALL Bangladesh Council-IBC), Mirza Asadul Kibriya (Assistant Director, Department of Environment), Vidya Amrit Khan (Vice President, BGMEA), Dr. Khondaker Golam Moazzem (Research Director, CPD), Syed Nasim Manzur (President, LFMEAB), and Arif Ahmed Khan (Additional Inspector General, Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments-DIFE).

Discussions highlighted heat stress, chemical exposure, poor ventilation, and job vulnerability as key challenges for workers, especially women, in climate-sensitive sectors. the panelists emphasized healthy worker representation, social protection, skill development, green factory initiatives, and multi-stakeholder engagement as essential pillars for implementing Just Transition in Bangladesh.