BEF: Bangladesh Employers Federation
The Bangladesh Employers’ Federation is an all-country organisation representing all sectors, industry, trade, banking, insurance, etc.
The need for such a Federation stemmed from the desire of employers to have an organisation that will provide them with guidance, assistance in the field of industrial relations, bring their concerted views on labour matters to the attention of the Government and represent them both in the national and international levels.
Accordingly, the Bangladesh Employers’ Federation was established and it is the only Federation of its kind in the country.
Bangladesh Employers’ Federation (BEF) was registered as the national organization of the employers in 1998.
The Federation now represents nearly 90 percent of the established employers in the private sector, and all the Sector Corporations and autonomous bodies, such as, Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation, Bangladesh Steel & Engineering Corporation, Bangladesh Sugar & Food Industries Corporation, Bangladesh Textile Mills Corporation, Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation, Bangladesh Oil, Gas and Mineral Corporation, Bangladesh Power Development Board, etc.
The Federation is recognised by the government as the only representative organisation of employers. Accordingly, it has been given representation on all national Bodies/Committees concerning labour-management relations. It is also represented on various bodies, such as National Tripartite Consultative Committee on Labour Matters, Governing Bodies of the Bangladesh Institute of Management (BIM), Industrial Relations Institute, Minimum Wages Board, Labour Courts, etc. In matters of representation at various international conferences and industrial seminars, symposia organised from time to time by the ILO and its attached units/agencies, the Federation is called upon to send representatives.
The Federation is also represented on the Council of International Organisation of Employers and through it, maintains close touch with employers’ organisations in other countries and exchanges views and information on current issues.
