The government is set to announce the formation of a minimum wage board today (1 November) as garment workers staged protests demanding higher wages across parts of Dhaka, Gazipur and Savar on Saturday, disrupting production and forcing around 100 factories to declare holidays.
Protests took place in Ashulia, Gazipur, Mirpur and other industrial areas. The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) said around 100 factories had been forced to suspend operations, including nearly 30 in Ashulia.
Industrial Police said workers from around 20 factories took to the streets in Gazipur. In Ashulia, clashes between protesters and police left one police officer injured after bricks were thrown during the unrest.
Tawhidur Rahman, former general secretary of IndustriAll Bangladesh Council, said workers had long been demanding the swift formation of a wage board. BGMEA Vice-President Shehab Udduza Chowdhury also confirmed that around 100 factories had declared holidays in different areas.
The latest demonstrations come amid renewed calls for a wage review as workers seek higher pay to cope with rising living costs. No factory closures were reported in Narayanganj or Chattogram.
