Everything’s failing, it won’t be solved quickly

Brigadier General (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain, Adviser to the Ministry of Labour and Employment, has said that all major systems in Bangladesh have effectively collapsed and warned that they cannot be repaired within a single year.

Speaking as the chief guest at a cheque handover ceremony organised by the Workers Welfare Foundation at the Natore Deputy Commissioner's conference room on Sunday (3 August) morning, Sakhawat Hossain issued a strong warning to labour leaders about the fragile state of the country’s institutions.

“All sectors of the police and administration are already broken,” he said. “If the workers begin creating unrest, the situation will deteriorate even further.”

He also pointed to the narrow base of Bangladesh’s current export economy. “The country is mainly dependent on the garments and manpower export sectors,” he noted. “To stabilise and grow the economy, we must diversify. Shipbuilding, for example, holds significant potential and the government is actively working to develop it.”

The event was chaired by Natore Deputy Commissioner Asma Shahin. Among those in attendance were Superintendent of Police Amzad Hossain, Civil Surgeon Dr. Abul Kalam Azad, Additional Deputy Commissioner Arefin Siddique, Abul Hayat, and leaders from various labour organisations.

The Workers Welfare Foundation provides financial support to workers and their families. The ceremony involved the distribution of cheques to beneficiaries from the district.

Sakhawat Hossain’s remarks underscore growing concerns over institutional decline in Bangladesh, with particular focus on the need for reform, economic diversification, and social stability in the face of mounting pressure on public systems.