DHAKA (The Thursday Times) — Thousands of Bangladeshi garment workers blocked a major highway and clashed with police on Monday, the third day of protests demanding that the minimum wage be more than doubled, as about 500 factories closed temporarily.
Workers want 30,000 taka a month, about $242, against a current wage of roughly 12,500 to 13,000 taka. In Gazipur, north of Dhaka, hundreds blocked the Dhaka-Tangail highway and vandalised vehicles, and a police vehicle was set on fire. Police used tear gas and stun grenades in Mirpur and Ashulia.
The government announced a new wage board on Sunday to review pay, and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman held an emergency meeting with ministers and advisers. Labour leaders say the board does not go far enough, pointing to inflation and rising household bills. Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed warned that the government was taking strong action to stop the protests.
Garments are Bangladesh’s main export, an industry worth about $38 billion that employs millions of people and makes it the world’s second-biggest exporter of clothing after China. Factory owners say they are already struggling with higher costs, energy uncertainty from the war on Iran and slowing demand in some markets. Union leaders counter that the country’s garment wages are among the lowest in the world.
