Pantho Rahaman
Dhaka, July 22, 2025:
A new report from Climate Rights International (CRI) has revealed the devastating toll extreme heat is taking on workers in Bangladesh, exposing widespread labor rights abuses and corporate negligence amid a worsening climate crisis.
Titled “My Body Is Burning: Extreme Heat and Labor Rights in Bangladesh”, the 172-page report documents the physical, emotional, and financial suffering endured by urban workers in garment factories, construction sites, and gig economy roles. Based on interviews with over 50 workers in Dhaka, the report describes serious health issues including fainting, dehydration, muscle cramps, chest pain, temporary vision loss, and even death due to relentless heat and lack of workplace protections.
“The clothes we wear every day may have been sewn by someone who collapsed or lost consciousness on the job,” said Brad Adams, Executive Director of CRI. “This is a crisis at the intersection of climate change and labor exploitation.”
Dhaka has faced record-breaking temperatures in recent years, with a 2025 heat index reaching 48°C (118°F). Despite the health dangers, many workers are denied water, shade, or rest. CRI found instances of forced overtime, withheld breaks, verbal abuse, and threats for slowing down due to heat exhaustion. In many cases, workers feared retaliation for speaking up.
Multinational clothing brands, including VF Corporation (which owns The North Face and Timberland), H&M, Walmart, and Primark, are criticized for failing to adequately protect workers despite existing codes of conduct. Even where policies exist, enforcement is weak, and workers continue to suffer.
App-based gig workers, such as those working for foodpanda, and construction laborers also reported exposure to severe heat without sufficient safeguards, water, or bathroom access, compounding their vulnerability.
Bangladesh’s current labor laws offer minimal heat protection, particularly in the informal sector, which employs 85% of the workforce. CRI urges the Bangladeshi government to adopt national heat safety standards and strengthen labor protections—especially as the country enters a new political era following the fall of the Awami League government.
The Ministry of Labor is reportedly preparing to ratify key International Labour Organization conventions, signaling potential progress. However, CRI stresses that high-income nations and multinational corporations must provide financial and structural support to climate-proof Bangladesh’s workforce.
“Employers and corporations must work with the government to ensure workers are protected from deadly heat,” said Cara Schulte, the report’s author. “It’s a matter of human rights, public health, and economic stability.”
As climate change intensifies, the report makes clear that safeguarding worker health in Bangladesh is not just a national issue, but a global responsibility.
