Fresh unrest shuts garment factories in Bangladesh ahead of wage board meeting

Dhaka: Fresh labour unrest hit Bangladesh's garment industry on Sunday, with 13 factories shut indefinitely and five others declaring a one-day holiday, a day before the wage board is due to meet to continue consultations on recommending a revised pay structure.

Protesting workers gathered in Gazipur's Konabari and Mouchak areas, prompting police to use tear gas and sound grenades to disperse them. Factory owners said 50 units in the industrial zone were closed.

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The latest disruption comes amid weeks of protests over workers' demand to raise the minimum monthly wage from 12,500 taka (USD 100) to 30,000 taka (USD 240), with demonstrations and factory shutdowns reported across key industrial belts.

Bangladesh is the world's second-largest garment exporter after China. The sector employs more than four million workers and accounts for over 80 per cent of the country's export earnings, making prolonged disruption a concern for international buyers and global supply chains.

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The government formed a Minimum Wage Board on November 1 to recommend a revised pay structure. The board, chaired by a senior district judge, agreed at its first meeting to finalise its recommendations by the end of November.

The revised pay structure is expected to take effect from December 1, with workers set to receive their first salaries under the new scale in January.

The fresh unrest on Sunday came a day after garment factory owners warned of indefinite, unpaid closures at factories where workers refused to resume production.

Police and factory owners said 13 readymade garment factories were shut for an indefinite period, while five others declared a one-day general holiday in Gazipur and nearby Ashulia.

Workers at a garment factory rallied in Gazipur's Konabari area, prompting police to rush to the scene and disperse them using tear gas and sound grenades at around 8.30 am local time.

Workers from other factories later took to the streets in the adjacent Mouchak area, forcing management to close their units.

"Workers made attempts to gather at different locations this morning, but law enforcement personnel prevented them with their prompt actions and remain deployed at every key point in the industrial area," Gazipur Industrial Police Superintendent Amzad Hossain said.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) said it had deployed 13 platoons of paramilitary personnel to maintain order and protect factories, alongside police in riot gear and the elite Special Response Battalion (SRB), which draws personnel from the army, navy, air force and police.

Gazipur district administration officials said several platoons of the Ansar battalion had also been called out to guard the factories. They said 25 executive magistrates had been assigned to lead law enforcement personnel.

Factory owners said 50 garment units were closed in the industrial zone, including 13 shut on Sunday amid fresh unrest.

Officials said production continued at most factories in Gazipur's industrial belt despite the disruption.

The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) said its representatives would attend the minimum wage board meeting on Monday to submit their proposal, despite reluctance among some of its members.

The BGMEA, however, warned that its participation in subsequent meetings would depend on how the situation on the ground unfolded.

The continued protests have centred on demands for a "living wage to survive", with workers saying their earnings have not kept pace with rising costs of food, housing, transport and healthcare.

Factory owners have warned that prolonged disruption during the peak production season for spring and summer orders could delay shipments, affect overseas buyers' confidence and lead to cancellations.

Bangladesh supplies major international fashion brands, including H&M, Zara and Gap. The sector has also faced pressure from rising production costs, inflation and intense competition in global markets.

The protests turned violent in the first week of November, with demonstrators setting ablaze police vans and public transport vehicles and blocking two major highways.

Ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) activists also took to the streets in anti-protest campaigns, carrying bamboo sticks to maintain order and resist what they described as "infiltrators".

BNP leaders have accused Hasina and her supporters of trying to destabilise the government through the protests, while the former prime minister has rejected such allegations in media interviews.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's information affairs adviser, Zahedur Rahman, earlier accused the deposed premier of fuelling the unrest, saying, "Sheikh Hasina will not let the government remain in peace as long as she is alive".

A student-led uprising toppled Hasina's government on August 5, 2024, forcing her to flee to India. The interim government led by Muhammad Yunus later disbanded the Awami League under anti-terrorism legislation.