From scorched fields to fair wages: National consultation sparks hope for Cox’s Bazar workers

Bangladesh’s salt farmers face scorching conditions and low pay. The ILO-ISEC project is aiming to improve the lives of salt workers by providing fair wages, safer working conditions, and stronger rights.

Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh (ILO News) - On the sun-scorched fields of Cox’s Bazar, Delwar Hossain bends over shimmering salt pans. For 15 years, he’s harvested "white gold" under the blazing sun of Cox’s Bazar. But today, dehydration claws at his throat. "There are no sanitary toilets or tube wells here," he says. "We start our work from 6 a.m. till evening, and we see many of our coworkers collapse from heat exhaustion." 

Delwar is not alone. Nurus Sofa, another salt farmer, shared a stark truth: “We used to take one bottle of water from home, but it runs out quickly. No gloves. No shade. Just burns and blisters.” With no safety gear and little awareness of their rights, workers suffer in silence.

Delwar and Sofa are two of the 30,000 salt farmers working hard in a sector that is unnoticed. In 2023, Bangladesh produced a record 22.3 million tonnes of salt, a 22% increase from before. This growth directly helped around 5 million people. Thus, salt farming plays a big role in the local economy, but the farmers still earn very little. 

During the peak season, local buyers and factories purchase salt in bulk and store it for the rest of the year. Since farmers don’t have their own storage or access to modern tools to improve salt quality, they’re forced to sell at low prices. Later, when the price of salt goes up in the off-season, the farmers miss out because they have already sold their product. Nevertheless, salt is used in everything from tanneries to textiles and table salt consumption, but salt farmers still face the harsh reality of making a living. 

To address these long-standing pressing issues of poor working conditions and salt production and associated poor pricing offers for the farmers, the Global Affairs Canada funded ILO’s ISEC project organized a “National Consultation on Improving Salt Industry & Working Conditions in Bangladesh” on 30 April 2025 to bring together government officials, industry experts, private sector leaders, development partners, along with salt farmers and mill workers. The discussions painted a stark picture of the difficulties plaguing the sector. 

Importance of salt in our lives and economy

Salt isn’t just a kitchen staple. It’s an economic lifeline: 

• Industrial backbone: The textile sector alone uses 800 million metric tons annually for dyeing.
• Cox’s Bazar production: 95% of Bangladesh’s salt comes from Cox’s Bazar, covering 69,198 acres land (BSCIC, Cox’s Bazar).
• Source of livelihood: Salt production directly supports the livelihoods of 41,355 people in Cox’s Bazar (BSCIC, Cox’s Bazar).
• Processing capacity: The district hosts 82 salt mills, 80 mechanical and 2 centrifugal, employing a total of 2,100 workers across these factories.

• "We must prioritize health, inclusion, microcredit, and modern technology to strengthen the salt sector. Salt is our 'white gold,' and salt workers must be brought under Bangladesh’s Labour Act for better rights and protection."

Md. Obaidur Rahman, Secretary, Ministry of Industries.
 

Prolonged exposure to salt, heat, and dust causes lasting damage. “Kidney disease, skin infections, even vision loss,” warned Saad Gilani of the ILO. “But the Labour Act only recognizes 14 occupational diseases. Salt-related illnesses aren’t among them.”

This is the hidden cost of traditional salt production. And it doesn’t just affect workers, it also affects families, communities, and the entire industry. Ruchika Bahl, Head of ILO Project Office, Cox’s Bazar, reaffirmed the ILO’s commitment to ensuring safe and secure economic livelihoods for the salt workers of Cox’s Bazar by improving their working conditions, facilitating access to healthcare, and advocating for the right social protection policies to be in place.

Systemic Roadblocks

Despite the importance and benefits of salt cultivation, the consultation exposed deep-rooted barriers that exist:  

• Old methods, low production: Many salt farmers still use traditional ways of farming, which means they get less salt and lower quality. New tools and better techniques exist, but the lack of modernization prevents the sector from reaching its full potential in terms of productivity and competitiveness. “To strengthen Bangladesh’s salt sector, we need to focus on improving quality and reducing reliance on imports. Improve testing, train producers, and adopt better technology to raise salt quality, cut imports, and ensure fair prices”, stated Sorwar Hossen, Chief, Salt Cell, BSCIC.
• Too many middlemen: Brokers and middlemen often control land leases, prices, and access to supplies, sometimes repetitive activities are taken by various mid-traders that results in inefficiency in the processes. This puts farmers in a tough spot, with little power to negotiate or grow their businesses.
• Land costs keep climbing: The cost of leasing land for salt farming has gone up a lot. For small farmers, this makes it harder to break even, let alone make a profit.
• Poor quality and storage: Bad harvesting practices and a focus on quantity over quality lead to low-grade salt. Without proper storage, even good salt can spoil. Jisan Rahman, Business Manager, ACI Limited, said, “Salt should be purer. If farmers harvest it in 5-6 days (instead of 3), moisture will reduce, and quality will improve”. Dewan Mahbub Kamran, Pretty Composite Textiles echoed, “Bangladesh’s salt is used in textiles, leather, and more. But poor quality and price swings hurt both producers and buyers. If we get this right, we can stop importing and support our own industries.”
• Tough working conditions: Salt workers often face unsafe and unhealthy conditions—no safety gear, low pay, and no job protection. Many don’t have access to clean water, healthcare, or insurance.
• Weak rules and poor coordination: Salt workers are rarely covered by formal labour laws, and different parts of the industry - like farmers, processors, and government—don’t work well together. This slows down progress.
• Little to no safety net: During off-seasons, many salt workers have no income or support. Most are unaware of or excluded from health coverage, pensions, or maternity benefits. “Current law doesn’t recognize many work-related illnesses. The list of occupational diseases must expand to protect salt workers," stated Saad Gilani, Project Manager, Employment Injury Scheme (EIS) Project, ILO Bangladesh.

A Blueprint for Change 

Government paves the way for salt workers' welfare and sectoral growth

The Government of Bangladesh is taking decisive steps to transform the lives of salt workers and farmers, recognizing their vital yet often overlooked contributions. The Ministry of Labour and Employment is spearheading efforts to include the salt sector under the Bangladesh Labour Welfare Foundation (BLWF), a move that would extend critical financial support to workers in cases of workplace injuries or fatalities. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Industries is driving sector-wide improvements, to establish storage facilities in Chattogram with a target of preserving 100,000 metric tons of salt, to stabilize prices and reduce middlemen dependency, to reviewing unregulated salt imports and advocating for fairer land rental terms. With a strong focus on occupational safety and health (OSH), private sector engagement in WASH initiatives, and formal recognition of salt workers under the Labour Act, the government is laying the foundation for a more secure and prosperous future for these vulnerable communities. These coordinated efforts reflect a growing commitment to ensuring dignity, safety, and economic stability for those who work in one of Bangladesh’s most challenging yet essential industries.

Looking Ahead

Bangladesh’s salt industry needs stronger teamwork, more investment, and better rules to grow in a safe and fair way. By working together, we can make salt production safer for workers, help them earn more, and create more jobs all year round. This will also help the local economy and reduce the need to import salt. Saad Gilani emphasized collaboration, "No single ministry can fix this. We need health, labour, and industry working as one."

"We’ve been working to modernise the salt sector for decades. The pieces are finally coming together. Now we need scale, coordination, and the political will to see it through." 

Kazi Mahbubur Roshid, Director, Promotion & Extension, BSCIC.

The future of Bangladesh’s salt industry depends not just on the sun and the sea, but on how well we work together in systemically addressing imminent livelihood threats in the sector and promoting modern farming and processing technologies that bring efficiency and resilience in the entire sector.