RAJSAHI, Sept 17, V7N - Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan, Advisor to the Interim Government's Ministry of Labor and Employment, officially inaugurated the National Occupational Health and Safety Research and Training Institute in Rajshahi. The inauguration took place at Switchtip on Tuesday (September 17) at 12:30 pm.

The event was chaired by Abdur Rahim Khan, Inspector General of the Directorate of Inspection of Factories and Institutions under the Ministry of Labor and Employment. A.H.M. Safikuzzaman, Secretary of the Ministry, also addressed the gathering. Other prominent attendees included Major General Mohammad Habib Ullah, Chairman of the Bangladesh Army Welfare Organization, Rajshahi Divisional Commissioner Dr. Dewan Muhammad Humayun Kabir, International Labor Organization (ILO) Country Director Mr. Tuomo Puttinen, GIZ Bangladesh Textile Cluster Coordinator Mr. MS Werner Lange, and Deputy Head of the Danish Embassy Mr. Andres Carlsen.

Representatives from various labor organizations were also present, including BGMEA Additional Secretary (Labor Department) Rafiqul Islam, General Secretary of the Bangladesh Garments and Industrial Workers Federation Babul Akhtar, and Project Director of the Occupational Health and Safety Research and Training Institute Farid Ahmed.

The program began with a recitation from the Holy Quran and a moment of silence to honor the martyrs of the July-August uprising. Following the inauguration, the Labor and Employment Advisor planted a tree sapling on the institute's campus.

During the event, it was emphasized that occupational health and safety are critical in reducing workplace accidents and ensuring the well-being of workers, thereby supporting the economy. The establishment of the institute was the result of a project initiated in 2018 by the Directorate of Inspection of Factories and Establishments, under the Ministry of Labor and Employment.

Earlier that day, Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan arrived in Rajshahi on a one-day official visit, landing at Hazrat Shah Makhdoom (RA) Airport at 8:30 am. Later in the afternoon, he was scheduled to attend a friendly football match between Rajshahi University and RUET at the Rajshahi University Stadium. His visit concluded at 5:30 pm when he departed Rajshahi for Dhaka.

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