Tear gas and sound grenades filled the air in industrial districts as thousands of garment workers took to the streets for a third consecutive day, bringing hundreds of factories to a temporary halt. According to Al Jazeera and Reuters reports, the industrial hubs of Dhaka's Mirpur area, Savar, Ashulia, and Gazipur have been heavily impacted by the ongoing demonstrations, which faced a heavy police presence on Monday.
According to Al Jazeera, about 500 factories were temporarily shuttered after protests began on Saturday. Workers are demanding a minimum monthly wage of 30,000 taka ($242), which is more than double the current wage of 12,500 taka ($101).
In response to the unrest, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman held an emergency meeting with his ministers and advisers, while the government formed a new wage board on Sunday to review minimum pay standards, as reported by Al Jazeera and Reuters.
Background
According to Al Jazeera and Reuters, Bangladesh's garment industry is worth approximately $38bn and serves as a vital source of employment and export earnings. Workers argue that current wages are insufficient to handle the rising cost of living. Babul Akhter, general secretary of the Bangladesh Garment and Industrial Workers Federation and a representative on the wage board, stated that Bangladesh has among the lowest garment wages in the world and asserted that factory owners cannot build a business on the backs of underpaid workers, noting they should negotiate better prices with international buyers instead.
On the other hand, Mahmud Hasan Khan, president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, stated that the government has already taken a step by forming the wage board. Khan added that authorities expect workers to allow the review process to proceed, warning that if protests continued through Monday, the industry would have no option but to invoke the "no work, no pay" provision. Al Jazeera also reported that factory owners face broader industry challenges, including higher costs, energy market uncertainty linked to the United States-Israel war on Iran, and slowing demand in certain export areas while competing with counterparts in Vietnam, Cambodia, and India.
Why it matters
For readers across the region, the disruption in Bangladesh highlights the delicate balance between maintaining a competitive export economy and ensuring fair compensation for workers facing inflation. As nations in South Asia navigate global supply chain pressures, energy uncertainties, and rising living costs, labour movements in major manufacturing sectors carry significant economic implications.