World
Bangladesh Sets Up Wage Board Amid Garment Worker Protests
Bangladesh has established a six‑member wage board to review the minimum wage for garment workers after demonstrations in industrial cities. Workers, citing rising costs of food, housing, transport and healthcare, demanded a monthly minimum wage of 30,000 taka ($242), more than double the current 12,500 taka ($101). The board will include government, worker and factory owner representatives and is tasked with determining a new minimum wage.
Despite the announcement on Sunday, thousands of workers continued to protest around Dhaka. Police fired tear gas and sound grenades, and clashes with workers in Ashulia injured several people, including police officers. About 30 garment factories on the outskirts of Dhaka declared holidays.
The Ministry of Labour and Employment adviser M Sakhawat Hossain Chowdhury said the wage board issue had been resolved and urged workers to return to work. Labour and Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury warned that prolonged factory closures could delay export shipments and payments from international buyers, worsening conditions for manufacturers and workers.
Bangladesh’s garment industry, the world’s second‑largest after China, contributes about 10 percent of GDP. Manufacturers face challenges such as rising production costs, periodic gas and electricity shortages, and energy market uncertainty linked to Middle East tensions during the U.S.–Israel war on Iran.