In brief
Workers demanding a 30,000‑taka monthly wage have halted about 500 factories across Dhaka, Savar, Ashulia and Gazipur, facing tear‑gas and police action. The government formed a wage board after an emergency meeting with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, while factory owners cite rising costs and energy uncertainty.
Protests by Bangladeshi garment workers over low wages and rising inflation have halted hundreds of factories for the third consecutive day, as reported by Al Jazeera and corroborated by Outlook India and Asianet Newsable. The demonstrations, which began on Saturday, have forced factories to shut down and have drawn a heavy police presence to the Mirpur industrial area of Dhaka.
Police forces deployed tear gas and sound grenades to quell crowds in Mirpur, according to Al Jazeera’s Tanvir Chowdhury, who noted that thousands of workers had taken to the streets in Savar, Ashulia and Gazipur. The confrontations have been described as violent, with several clashes reported across the city’s key industrial zones.
Al Jazeera estimates that roughly 500 garment factories were temporarily shuttered following the start of the demonstrations, while Outlook India reports that 45 factories were shut and border guards were deployed in Dhaka and Gazipur to secure the sites.
In response to the escalating unrest, Bangladesh formed a new wage board on Sunday to review the minimum wage for garment workers. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman convened an emergency meeting with his ministers and advisers to discuss the situation, according to Al Jazeera.
Workers demand a minimum monthly wage of 30,000 taka—more than double the current rate of 12,500 taka—seeking a larger share of the multibillion‑dollar export industry. As Tanvir Chowdhury reported, “Workers cannot handle the lifestyle with that kind of money, and they want a share of the multibillion‑dollar export industry,” he added.
The garment sector, worth about $38 billion, faces stiff competition from Vietnam, Cambodia and India. Factory owners point to higher costs, energy market uncertainty amid the U.S.–Israel war’s impact on Iran and slowing demand in some export markets as driving pressures on their operations.
Babul Akhter, general secretary of the Bangladesh Garment and Industrial Workers Federation, said,
"If factory owners cannot pay workers properly, they should negotiate better prices with international buyers. They cannot build a business on the backs of underpaid workers."
Mahmud Hasan Khan, president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said,
"We expect workers to allow the review process to proceed."He added that if the protests continued throughout Monday, the industry would face significant setbacks.
Asianet Newsable reports that Bangladeshi garment workers have launched violent protests demanding a minimum wage increase to 30,000 taka, adding that the unrest has drawn heightened security measures around factory premises.
The union of the government’s wage board review, factory owners’ cost challenges and the workers’ demand for a pay increase sets the stage for a complex negotiation. As the protests carry on into Monday, stakeholders await the board’s recommendations and the potential impact on Bangladesh’s position as a global garment manufacturing hub.
