Bangladesh garment workers defy wage board, continue protests

Thousands of garment workers in Bangladesh continued protests on Sunday, demanding higher wages despite the government’s announcement of a six-member wage board to review their salaries.

The government has urged workers to return to factories and resume operations, but demonstrations across major industrial areas have continued, disrupting transport and manufacturing activities.

Garment workers are demanding a minimum monthly wage of 30,000 taka, equivalent to around $245, compared with the existing minimum wage of 12,500 taka. They say rising costs of food, housing, transportation and healthcare have made it increasingly difficult to meet their basic needs.

Labour and Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury said the wage board was established following discussions with representatives of workers and industry leaders. He urged employees to return to work while the board reviews their demands.

However, the announcement failed to calm tensions, as thousands of workers took to the streets in fresh demonstrations.

In Dhaka, police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse protesters who had blocked a busy intersection. Police said some demonstrators also threw bricks at officers during clashes.

In Gazipur, a major industrial area on the outskirts of the capital, hundreds of workers blocked a key highway, causing traffic disruptions.

The protests forced factory owners to suspend operations at around 25 to 30 garment factories. Border Guard Bangladesh personnel were also deployed to maintain law and order, according to Gazipur Industrial Police Superintendent Mohammad Amjad Hossain.

The latest demonstrations followed similar protests in Ashulia, another major garment manufacturing hub near Dhaka, where dozens of factories suspended operations on Saturday after workers demanded better pay.

Chowdhury warned that continued unrest could affect export shipments and delay payments from international buyers, creating additional financial pressure on manufacturers and workers.

Bangladesh’s ready-made garment industry is the world’s second-largest after China. It employs approximately four million people, contributes around 10 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product and accounts for more than 80 per cent of its export earnings.

The industry supplies clothing to several leading international brands and remains a major source of employment and foreign exchange for the country.

However, manufacturers are also facing rising production costs, recurring shortages of gas and electricity, and uncertainty in energy markets amid tensions in the Middle East.

The ongoing wage dispute has raised concerns about further disruptions to factory operations and export activities in one of Bangladesh’s most important economic sectors.