Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments

What Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments does

The Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) is the statutory government inspectorate of Bangladesh, operating under the Ministry of Labour and Employment to enforce the Bangladesh Labour Law (2006) and Labour Rules (2015). Its mandate covers factory and establishment inspections, layout plan approvals, registration and licensing, occupational safety and health (OSH) compliance, child labour prevention, fire safety verification, and worker welfare monitoring. DIFE serves a broad regulated population including readymade garment factories, knitwear and sweater industries, other manufacturers, commercial establishments, shops, commercial banks, insurance companies, and contractor organizations, with workers as beneficiaries of its 16357 helpline. The agency operates from its Dhaka headquarters and a network of 32 Deputy Inspector General field offices covering all 64 districts of Bangladesh.

DIFE's technology portfolio centers on government digital service infrastructure. LIMA (Labour Inspection Management Application) handles online layout plan approvals, license applications, renewals, and verification; LIMS (Bangladesh Labour Information Management System) centralizes labour data; the DIFE OSH e-tool supports workplace safety assessments; and the DIFE e-Services Mobile Application extends access to mobile users. Internal systems include an inventory and requisition platform. The agency also hosts NOSHTRI, an affiliated research and training institute focused on occupational safety and health.

As a state entity, DIFE is funded primarily through the Government of Bangladesh national budget allocation via the Ministry of Labour and Employment, supplemented by regulated licensing and registration fees. It has no commercial sales motion; services are delivered directly through its field office network and digital channels, including the BIDA One Stop Service portal, and are mandatory for covered entities.

Name

Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments

Legal name

Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments

Website

https://dife.gov.bd

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

DIFE is the statutory Bangladesh government inspectorate under the Ministry of Labour and Employment, responsible for factory and establishment inspections, licensing, layout plan approvals, and occupational safety enforcement nationwide through 32 field offices and digital platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Labour Inspection and Regulatory Services

NAICS

Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (926150), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (924), Building Inspection Services (541350)

akta.pro primary industry

Occupational Safety & Health Authorities (Workplace Safety Regulators) (HLAJAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial Hygiene & Exposure Standards Regulators (Air/Noise/Chemical/Biological) (HLAJAFAC), Fire & Life Safety Code Compliance Inspections & Consulting (AHJ Support) (BPABAHAJ)

Keywords

• Factory inspection services
• Labour law enforcement
• Occupational safety compliance
• Factory licensing services
• Workplace safety regulation

Headquarters

HQ city

Dhaka

HQ country

Bangladesh

HQ region

Asia

Offices32 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Budget Allocation: Core funding provided by the Ministry of Labour and Employment through the Government of Bangladesh national budget.
2. Factory and Establishment Licensing Fees: Fees collected for factory layout plan approvals, license issuance, and license renewals for factories, industrial establishments, commercial establishments, banks, insurance companies, shops, and contractor organizations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) is a statutory government regulator that conducts factory and establishment inspections across Bangladesh, issues and renews licenses and layout plan approvals, enforces compliance with the Bangladesh Labour Law (2006) and Bangladesh Labour Rules (2015), and oversees occupational safety and health, fire safety, structural safety, and child labour prevention. Services are delivered through 32 field offices and digital platforms including LIMA, LIMS, and the OSH e-tool, supported by a 16357 worker helpline.

Product overview

The Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) operates a portfolio of government digital services consisting of core inspection management systems and internal administrative platforms. The primary public-facing products include LIMA (Labor Inspection Management Application) for factory inspection, license management, and verification services; LIMS (Bangladesh Labour Information Management System) for labor data management; DIFE OSH e-tool for occupational safety and health assessments; and the DIFE e-Services Mobile Application for mobile access to services. Internal systems include the Inventory and Requisition System for departmental operations. These systems are built as integrated components within Bangladesh's government digital infrastructure under the Ministry of Labor and Employment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LIMA: Labor Inspection Management Application — an online platform for factory/establishment layout plan approvals, license applications, license renewals, and license verification.
• NOSHTRI
• DIFE OSH e-Tool
• DIFE e-Service (LIMA)
• DIFE One Stop Service
• DIFE Inventory and Requisition System
• Labor Helpline 16357

Products and services

• LIMA (Labour Inspection Management Application) Statutory online platform operated by DIFE for factory and establishment layout plan approvals, license applications, license renewals, and license verification under Bangladesh Labour Law. Used by factories, industrial establishments, commercial establishments, banks, insurance companies, shops, and contractor organizations.
• Bangladesh Labour Information Management System (LIMS) Centralized information management system operated by DIFE for managing labour-related data across Bangladesh, covering registered factories, establishments, and workers.
• DIFE OSH e-tool Digital occupational safety and health compliance tool for workplace safety assessments, inspections, and compliance tracking in factories and establishments.
• DIFE e-Services Mobile Application (ডাইফ একসেবা মোবাইল এপ্লিকেশন) Mobile application providing digital access to DIFE services for factory inspections and labour management, enabling on-the-go access to licensing and inspection services.
• Worker Helpline 16357 Toll-free helpline operated by DIFE for workers to report workplace violence, harassment, safety violations, and other labour-related complaints, and to seek assistance on maternity benefits and occupational health concerns.
• Factory Inspection and Licensing Services Core statutory service of DIFE providing factory inspection, registration, and licensing for factories, industrial establishments, commercial establishments, banks, insurance companies, shops, and contractor organizations under Bangladesh Labour Law (2006) and Bangladesh Labour Rules (2015).
• NOSHTRI — National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Research and Training Affiliated institute under DIFE conducting research and training on occupational safety and health, providing professional development and the first OSH research conference in August 2025.

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerDIFE services are integrated into BIDA's One Stop Service portal, enabling investors and businesses to access factory licensing and inspection services through a unified government service platform.
• Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA)minorOthersCollaboration for garment factory inspection and compliance monitoring in the readymade garment sector, one of Bangladesh's key export industries.
• Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA)minorOthersCollaboration for knitwear and sweater factory inspection and compliance monitoring in the knitwear export sector.
• International Labour Organization (ILO) BangladeshminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnical cooperation on labour standards, occupational safety and health, and labour law compliance in Bangladesh.
• NOSHTRI - National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Research and TrainingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNOSHTRI is an affiliated institute under DIFE conducting research and training on occupational safety and health. The institute had 13 positions created and was hosting the first OSH research conference in August 2025.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• International Labour Organization (ILO): UN agency that sets labour standards and partners with DIFE directly. Comparable as an ecosystem participant setting the framework under which DIFE operates, rather than a direct competitor.
• Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA): BIDA operates the One Stop Service portal through which DIFE licensing is delivered. A key GTM partner and channel rather than a competitor, but materially comparable as a Bangladesh government regulatory/economic agency.
• Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA): Industry association partner of DIFE covering the readymade garment sector. Not a competitor but a key counterpart whose members DIFE regulates and with whom inspection programs are coordinated.

Direct peers

• Directorate General Factory Advice Service & Labour Institutes (DGFASLI): India's central factory inspection and labour research body, structurally the closest South Asian counterpart to DIFE — both are government bodies responsible for factory inspections, occupational safety, and affiliated research/training institutes.
• Department of Labour, Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka's labour department performs factory inspections, shop and office registration, and worker welfare enforcement — a near-identical mandate to DIFE in a neighbouring South Asian jurisdiction.
• Ministry of Labour and Employment, Pakistan: Pakistan's federal labour ministry oversees provincial inspectorates regulating factories, establishments, and worker welfare — closely comparable to DIFE's mandate under Bangladesh's Ministry of Labour and Employment.

Regional players

• Ministry of Manpower, Indonesia: Indonesia's Ministry of Manpower oversees labour inspection, OSH, and worker welfare across a large emerging-economy base — comparable in scope and structure to DIFE's mandate under Bangladesh's Ministry of Labour and Employment.
• Ministry of Labour, Vietnam: Vietnam's Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) is the comparable garment-manufacturing-economy regulator, overseeing factory inspection, OSH, and worker welfare across another major apparel-exporting country.

Broad incumbents

• US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA): US federal workplace safety regulator. While operating in a very different legal context, OSHA is the global benchmark for occupational safety and health enforcement that DIFE aligns with via ILO partnership.
• UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE): UK's national workplace safety and health regulator. Relevant as a benchmark model for combining inspection, licensing, and digital reporting in a mature economy — a peer DIFE's digital infrastructure could evolve toward.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@difevideo6593
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dife-bd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments