Wage Protests Disrupt Bangladesh’s Garment Production
Garment production in Bangladesh faced disruption as workers demanding higher minimum wages staged protests across major industrial hubs, prompting factory closures and clashes with police.
Police fired tear gas and used stun grenades to disperse protesters on Wednesday, according to police and witnesses. Hundreds of factories reportedly remained closed following several days of demonstrations.
Workers are seeking a monthly minimum wage of 30,000 taka, compared with the current 12,500 taka, arguing that inflation and rising living costs have eroded their purchasing power.
In Fatula, in Narayanganj district on the outskirts of Dhaka, media reports said dozens of people were injured during clashes between workers and police. Bengali-language daily Prothom Alo reported that several protesters were detained.
Around 100 factories remained closed in Ashulia, near Dhaka, according to Mominul Islam Bhuiyan, Superintendent of the Ashulia Industrial Police. Workers also blocked a major highway in Gazipur, another key garment manufacturing hub.
The unrest highlights wage pressures in Bangladesh’s export-oriented garment industry, which employs approximately four million workers, predominantly women from rural areas. Prolonged disruption could put further pressure on manufacturers’ production schedules and export deliveries.
