Bangladesh Garment Workers Hit Streets Over Low Pay, Govt Announces Formation Of Wage Board

Bangladesh garment workers protest in Mirpur, Dhaka (Photo/ANI)

Dhaka: Garment workers in Bangladesh on Sunday staged protests in Gazipur and Dhaka over their longstanding demand for higher pay, prompting the government to announce the formation of a wage board, according to local media reports.

Garment workers chanting slogans blocked the Dhaka-Tangail highway in Gazipur, demanding a minimum monthly wage of BDT 30,000 (approx INR 23,000), the Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported.

The country's garment industry has around 4,000 registered factories and employs more than four million workers, according to the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).

Bangladesh is the world's second-largest apparel exporter after China, with garment exports reaching USD 38.70 billion in the 2025-26 financial year, according to the BGMEA. Its garments are exported to more than 150 countries.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) deployed five platoons to help control the situation in Gazipur, the report said.

Workers carrying sticks occupied Safipur Bazar, Chandra Polli Bidyut, Mouchak and Telichala in Kaliakair upazila and other points along the highway, it said.

Workers from nearby factories marked their attendance in the morning in their respective workplaces before joining the protests, the report said.

Protesters set fire to a police box located in…

Original source: https://www.timesnownews.com/world