AID grant agreement no. 388-0002-G-00-3040-00 to the Asian American Free Labor Institute (AAFLI) to strengthen the formal and informal democratic institutions in Bangladesh that safeguard the rights of Bangladeshi workers

There are two components to the program. Under the first component, labor law reform, an expert in comparative law (an AAFLI consultant), working with the Labor Reform Commission (LLRC), will conduct seminars on the labor laws of other countries and on what is required to remain eligible for benefits under the revised Generalized System of Preferences Act, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, and the Harkin Bill on child labor. In addition, the consultant will upgrade the capacity of Members of Parliament on the Standing Committee on Labor to assess the recommendations of the LLRC; establish a Labor Law Forum to further communication between labor groups and the government; and establish a media center and train labor groups to use the media to lobby public support. Under the second component, labor law education and implementation, the AAFLI will: coordinate NGO programs to instruct nearly 800,000 women in the garment industry in their rights under Bangladeshi law; train members of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters in their legal obligations (e.g., methods for inspection and enforcement); train Labor Court Judges and establish a Workers" Rights Advocacy Center to provide low-cost legal representation for workers, in the process establishing a lasting body of precedents; and train union officials and lawyers from NGOs in labor law and in methods for bringing test case litigation to court.