Bangladesh will establish a wage board Sunday to address garment worker demands after protests shut dozens of factories and triggered police clashes, the Labour and Employment Minister announced.
Workers are demanding a monthly minimum wage of 30,000 taka ($245), more than double the current 12,500 taka, citing rising costs of food, housing, transport, and healthcare. Labour and Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury said the government would formally constitute the wage board following discussions with labour leaders and industry representatives.
Saturday protests closed approximately 30 garment factories in Ashulia, a major manufacturing hub outside Dhaka, according to Mohammad Mominul Islam Bhuiyan, superintendent of the Ashulia Industrial Police. Hundreds of workers blocked a major intersection in the capital. Police used tear gas and sound grenades to disperse protesters, injuring several people including officers.
Chowdhury urged workers to return to work, warning that prolonged closures and production disruptions could delay export shipments and payments from international buyers. He said the government's decision to review wage structure addressed worker demands.
Bangladesh's garment industry employs about 4 million workers, generates more than 80% of the country's export earnings, and contributes about 10% of gross domestic product. The sector is the world's largest after China. Manufacturers cited rising production costs, periodic gas and electricity shortages, and Middle East energy market uncertainty as mounting challenges.