500 Factories Shut as Bangladesh Workers Demand 30,000 Taka Wage

Hundreds of garment factories in Bangladesh closed on Monday as worker protests reached a third consecutive day. The demonstrations are centered on low pay and the rising cost of living in the country’s major industrial zones.

Approximately 500 factories were temporarily shuttered following the start of the unrest on Saturday. Heavy police forces were deployed in the Mirpur industrial area of Dhaka on Monday. Reports from the capital confirmed ongoing demonstrations in the Savar, Ashulia, and Gazipur areas.

Thousands of workers marched through the streets, facing tear gas and sound grenades from law enforcement. In response, the government formed a new wage board on Sunday to review the minimum salary for garment workers. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman convened an emergency meeting with his ministers and advisers on the same day.

The workers are seeking a minimum monthly wage of 30,000 taka, which equates to $242. This demand is more than double the current minimum wage of 12,500 taka, or $101. Tanvir Chowdhury, reporting from Dhaka, noted that the current wages are insufficient given the rising cost of living.

Chowdhury stated that workers cannot manage their lifestyle on the existing pay and want a larger share of the multibillion-dollar export industry. The garment sector is a key source of employment and export earnings, with a total value of approximately $38 billion. It competes directly with industries in Vietnam, Cambodia, and India.

Babul Akhter, general secretary of the Bangladesh Garment and Industrial Workers Federation, said the country has among the lowest garment wages in the world. He argued that factory owners should negotiate better prices with international buyers if they cannot pay workers properly. Akhter served as a representative for workers on the newly formed wage board.

Mahmud Hasan Khan, president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said the government has taken a step by creating the wage board. He expressed hope that workers will allow the review process to proceed. Khan warned that if protests continue throughout Monday, the association will invoke the 'no work, no pay' provision.