Sources in the commerce ministry said the ministries of commerce and industries would meet soon to reach a decision on the board.

"Such a board is necessary to solve crisis, especially the workers-related issues as Bangladesh market remains a sensitive one to foreign buyers centring compliance issue," a high official of the commerce ministry said.

The ministry will prepare a working paper to place it to Finance and Commerce Adviser Mirza Azizul Islam for his consent on forming the proposed DSB.

The DSB will empower the investigators of any incident of unrest and non-compliance of labour rights at any industrial unit.

The board, however, will keep the ministry as well as chambers update about any possible conflict for taking necessary measure before any incident occurs.

The Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) also made suggestions for such a board in the wake of the recent labour dispute in ready-made garment (RMG) sector.

The EPB conducted a probe into the December 2006 labour unrest at Padma Policton Knit Service, Nasa Group and Rapid Apparels.

This investigation found that rumour of a worker's beating by a garment industry owner instigated the RMG co-workers to lock in violence, the state-run export promotional agency said, giving a clarification that any DSB member's efforts to mitigate any incident of industrial conflict would be helpful in averting violence.

The EPB also urged the RMG owners to comply with the minimum wage for workers as agreed in a tripartite deal signed recently.

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) welcomed the ministry plan hoping that such board would help eliminate the impact of rumor and improve the labour compliance issues.

SM Fazlul Haque, president of the BGMEA, said a permanent board having government support would definitely help improve the compliance issue.

"The labour compliance scenario has improved to a great extent because the RMG makers have no alternative to maintaining such compliance," he added.