Dhaka's Landfill Pickers Organise a Union of Their Own
by Bangladesh Waste Pickers Union (BWPU) · HQ 🇧🇩 Bangladesh
The Bangladesh Waste Pickers Union, formerly the Association of Waste Pickers of Bangladesh, was formed in 2015 in Dhaka and represents dumpsite pickers, street pickers and household waste collectors, especially around the Matuail sanitary landfill. The International Alliance of Waste Pickers lists it as an affiliate with 2,286 members, 1,723 of them women, although its own profile text elsewhere cites 519. It seeks legal accreditation, municipal contracts and cooperative jobs, safety training and equipment, schooling and health services for pickers' children, and campaigns against child labour and child marriage. In March 2025 the Alliance reported the union held a rally on Waste Pickers Day to demand decent working conditions. The union has no verified website.