Strengthening labour and human rights practices across the shrimp value chain is important for building a more responsible, sustainable and competitive shrimp industry in Bangladesh.
The Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) organised an Expert Group Meeting titled “The Role of Labour and Human Rights in Strengthening the Shrimp Industry” on Tuesday, 4 August 2026, at the CSS Ava Centre, Khulna.
The meeting was held as part of CPD’s ongoing research on Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) in Bangladesh’s shrimp industry. The study examines labour and human rights conditions across the value chain and explores how stronger compliance and accountability can contribute to the sector’s competitiveness.
The research covers shrimp processing factories, depots and workers and examines issues including wage and employment practices, occupational health and safety, gender equality, child and forced labour risks, worker representation, and enterprises’ preparedness to implement HRDD principles.
The findings indicate that the shrimp value chain remains highly fragmented, with informal actors and multiple intermediaries creating challenges for traceability, labour monitoring and accountability. Addressing these challenges will require stronger employment standards, improved workplace safety, greater protection of workers’ rights and better coordination across the value chain.
The Expert Group Meeting provided a platform to review the emerging research findings and identify priorities for strengthening labour rights alongside the long-term sustainability and competitiveness of Bangladesh’s shrimp industry.
