Fakhrul discusses dev cooperation with ILO, Chinese construction firm

Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Tuesday held separate meetings with International Labour Organization (ILO) Country Director in Bangladesh Max Tunon and a delegation from China State Construction Engineering Corporation at the Secretariat.

The meetings discussed expanding development cooperation in different sectors, including workers’ welfare, urban management and infrastructure development, said a press release.

During the meeting with the ILO country director, the participants discussed improving the living standards of city corporation sanitation workers, enhancing skills, creating employment opportunities and introducing modern waste management systems.

The minister said the ILO can play an important role in ensuring the welfare of working people and creating a safe working environment in the country.

He also stressed the need to strengthen international partnerships in employment generation, trade, industrialisation, tackling the impacts of climate change and enhancing the capacity of local government institutions.

He emphasised increasing coordination between government and private organisations to ensure sustainable development.

In a separate meeting with the Chinese construction company’s delegation, the two sides discussed different aspects of expanding cooperation in infrastructure and urban development in Bangladesh.

The discussions particularly focused on safe water supply, modern sewerage systems, the construction sector and possible joint initiatives in urban infrastructure development.

Director General of the Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation and Inspection Wing of the Local Government Division Md Mahmudul Hasan, Additional Secretary of the Development Wing Dr Abu Naser Mohammad Abdullah and other senior ministry officials were present at the meetings.