In brief
For the third day, garment workers have blocked factories across Dhaka and surrounding industrial areas, citing exhaustion under low wages amid inflation. The protests have prompted the formation of a national wage board and an emergency meeting by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, but police crackdowns with tear gas and border guards have highlighted the tension between workers, factory owners, and the state.
For the third consecutive day on Friday, Bangladeshi garment workers have halted operations in the country’s most important export sector, blocking hundreds of factories across Dhaka’s industrial districts. Workers are demanding a minimum monthly wage of 30,000 taka—more than double the current 12,500 taka—after rising inflation has eroded the purchasing power of their pay.
Heavy police presence stalked the Mirpur industrial area of Dhaka, while clashes erupted in Savar, Ashulia and Gazipur. Tear gas, sound grenades and, according to an Outlook India report, border guards were deployed to secure industrial zones. The violence forced the closure of about 500 factories, a figure cited by Al Jazeera, while the Outlook piece recorded 45 shutdowns, illustrating the scale and uncertainty of the protests.
In response, the government established a wage board on Sunday to review the industry’s pay scale, and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman convened an emergency meeting with ministers and advisers. The board, which includes representatives from both workers and factory owners, is expected to produce a recommendation by the end of the week, according to Al Jazeera.
Workers say that the current wages are “not enough because of the rising cost of living.”
“Workers cannot handle the lifestyle with that kind of money, and they want a share of the multibillion‑dollar export industry,” said a spokesperson for the workforce, as reported by Al Jazeera.They point to a monthly wage of 30,000 taka as a reasonable share of the profits created by garments that command high prices on the international market.
The garment industry is a cornerstone of Bangladesh’s economy, worth roughly $38 billion and providing direct employment for millions. It competes with neighboring countries such as Vietnam, Cambodia and India, and the protests threaten to disrupt the export supply chain that underpins the nation’s development plans.
Factory owners counter that the sector has already been squeezed by higher input costs, an uncertain energy market amplified by the United States–Israel conflict’s impact on Iran, and declining demand in key export markets. They argue that wage hikes could force them to shut down or move production abroad.
General Secretary of the Bangladesh Garment and Industrial Workers Federation, Babul Akhter, underscored the workers’ plight.
“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,” Akhter said, as cited by Al Jazeera.He added that wage adjustments could also increase the industry’s competitiveness globally.
Presiding over the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, Mahmud Hasan Khan, echoed the government’s willingness to address the issue.
“We expect workers to allow the review process to proceed,” Khan said, according to Al Jazeera. “If protests continue throughout Monday, we will have no choice but to step in more forcefully.”His remarks reflect the industry’s concern that prolonged unrest could force a larger disruption to the entire export chain.
The protests bring to the forefront a broader civic struggle over labour rights, economic justice and the role of state institutions. The government’s decision to form a wage board demonstrates an attempt to mediate between workers’ demands and factory owners’ sustainability, while the police crackdown signals the limits of tolerance for civil unrest that threatens national economic stability.
As the protests enter their fourth day, Bangladesh’s factories, workers and political leaders stand at a crossroads: whether a negotiated wage increase can restore peace and maintain the industry’s global standing, or whether continued unrest will widen economic disparities and erode public trust in the nation’s institutions.
