The Department of Law, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS), American International University–Bangladesh (AIUB), in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO), organized a poster presentation and policy dialogue titled “LEAP Forward: Global Learning, Local Action on Decent Work in the Platform Economy” on 2 November 2025 at the AIUB Campus, Kuratoli, Dhaka.

The event was part of the Labour Law Exchange and Action Programme (LEAP) and the ILO–AIUB University Partnership under the Advancing Decent Work in Bangladesh (ADWIB) project, supported by the Team Europe Initiative (European Union, Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden), Canada, and the Trade for Decent Work Project funded by the European Union.

As the LEAP cohort member and AIUB’s focal point for the ILO–AIUB Memorandum of Understanding, Ms. Tasnuva Anika, Assistant Professor, Department of Law, led the initiative, translating global policy insights into locally relevant learning activities. Through her coordination, more than 120 law students engaged in research, field interviews with platform workers, and poster presentations connecting international labour standards (ILS) with Bangladesh’s labour law framework and the realities of digitally mediated work.

The session was inaugurated by Professor Dr. Taslima Monsoor, Adviser, Department of Law, AIUB, followed by opening remarks from Professor Dr. Tazul Islam, Dean, FASS, AIUB, and Ms. Chayanich Thamparipattra, Technical Officer, ILO. Professor Dr. Md. Abdur Rahman, Pro-Vice Chancellor, AIUB, graced the event as the Guest of Honour, and Professor Dr. Saiful Islam, Vice Chancellor, AIUB, served as the Chief Guest.

A thought-provoking panel discussion, moderated by Ms. Rifat Zabeen Khan, Senior Programme Officer – Labour Law and ILS, ILO, featured diverse perspectives from key stakeholders including Ms. Tasnuva Anika (AIUB), Mr. Zahedul Islam (Foodpanda Bangladesh), Mr. Atikul Islam Titu (Bangladesh Trade Union Sangha), and Mr. Mohammad Habibur Rahman (A.S & Associates). Workers, employers, and government representatives — Mr. Ahsan Habib Bulbul (NCCWE), Ms. Sadaf Saaz Siddiqi (BEF), and Mr. Md. Abdus Samad Al Azad (MoLE) — also contributed to the discussion.

Three student teams — Reformers, Indigo, and Labour Legislators — were recognized for their outstanding poster presentations proposing rights-based legal reforms for the platform economy.

Under Ms. Anika’s leadership, this initiative exemplified how academic–policy collaboration can foster socially conscious legal education, empower youth engagement in labour rights discourse, and strengthen Bangladesh’s participation in global standard-setting on Decent Work in the Platform Economy.