186 workers killed, 335 injured in workplace accidents between Jan-Feb: Report
Out of the 186 killed workers, 185 were male, while one was female.
At least 186 workers were killed while 335 injured in workplace accidents across Bangladesh in between January and March 2026, according to the Bangladesh Institute of Labor Studies (BILS).
This information was unveiled at a seminar held at the CIRDAP auditorium on the occasion of National Occupational Health and Safety Day 2026 today (28 April).
The seminar titled "Safe Workplace: All Together for All" disclosed data from the BILS newspaper-based survey of 2025 and the period of January-March 2026.
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According to BILS statistics, out of the 186 killed workers, 185 were male, while one was female. In a sector-wise analysis, the highest number of fatalities occurred in the transport sector where 107 workers were killed.
In addition, 19 workers were killed in the agriculture sector, 14 in the construction sector, 11 each as migrant workers and day laborers, nine in the fisheries sector, six in the power sector, and nine in other sectors.
At the same time, 335 workers were reported to have been injured. Of these, the largest number of workers were injured in the garment sector, with a total number of 250.
In addition, injuries occurred in various sectors, including workshops, transportation, fisheries, footwear, steel mills, construction, and hotels and restaurants.
Addressing the seminar, speakers said that while there has been some progress in workplace safety since the Rana Plaza tragedy, workers in the informal sector are still under great risk.
They underscored the need for effective safety committees, strong inspection systems, and strengthened implementation of labor laws.
The seminar was presided over by BILS Chairman Md Mujibur Rahman Bhuiyan while moderated by BILS Executive Director Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmed.
The seminar was addressed, among others, by Niran Ramjuthan, program manager of Labor Administration and Working Conditions of the International Labor Organization (ILO), Md Mahfuzur Rahman Bhuiyan and Md Matiur Rahman, joint inspectors general of the Department of Factory and Establishment Inspection, and Brigadier General (Retd) Ali Ahmed Khan, former director general of the Fire Service and Civil Defense.
