DHAKA, Nov 3: Bangladesh’s garment industry has been severely disrupted by escalating workers’ protests demanding higher wages, with nearly 1,000 factories suspending operations since October 31. The government has accused former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her supporters of exploiting the labour movement to destabilise the country.
Fresh violence on Tuesday forced another 300 garment factories to close, according to the Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA). The demonstrations have spread across Dhaka and major industrial centres, including Gazipur, Ashulia, Mirpur, Narayanganj and Mymensingh, where protesters have blocked roads and clashed with police.
The workers are seeking a minimum monthly salary of 30,000 taka (approximately Rs 23,000), compared with the existing minimum wage of 12,500 taka (around Rs 9,507). They argue that the current pay structure is insufficient to meet increasing expenses on food, accommodation, transportation and healthcare.
Prime Minister’s Information Affairs Adviser Zahedur Rahman alleged that Hasina was encouraging the unrest and would continue attempts to destabilise the administration.
Speaking at a media briefing, Rahman said he did not expect the former premier to allow the government to function peacefully, alleging that acts of sabotage could persist as long as she remained alive.
His remarks represented a departure from his earlier position that Hasina and her disbanded Awami League party had lost their political relevance in Bangladesh.
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed had also accused certain garment factory owners associated with the Awami League of contributing to the unrest. Meanwhile, Labour and Employment Adviser Mahdi Amin claimed the government had identified attempts by fugitive elements to infiltrate the workers’ movement.
Amin warned that those responsible for inciting violence would be identified and prosecuted under the law.
The accusations have emerged despite the home minister’s earlier statement in July that the Awami League had been politically destroyed and would not return to the country’s political landscape.
The prolonged disruption has raised concerns over the future of Bangladesh’s readymade garment sector, which employs approximately four million people and contributes more than 80 per cent of the country’s export earnings. Bangladesh is the world’s second-largest garment exporter after China, supplying several major international brands, including H&M, Zara and Gap.
Manufacturers have warned that continued factory closures during the peak production period for spring and summer orders could affect delivery schedules, damage relationships with international buyers and result in cancelled shipments.
Authorities have arrested more than 100 people in connection with the violence, including around 50 individuals reportedly linked to Awami League politics. Police said investigations were underway to identify those responsible for escalating the demonstrations.
Hasina fled to India after her government was toppled in a student-led uprising on August 5, 2024. Subsequently, a special tribunal established under the interim administration led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus sentenced her to death in absentia.
In an attempt to address the workers’ demands, the government constituted a six-member minimum wage board on Sunday to examine salaries and recommend a revised pay structure. However, the panel had not convened its first meeting as demonstrations continued.
Workers reported that several protesters had sustained injuries during confrontations with police. Security personnel used batons and tear gas to disperse crowds, while demonstrators allegedly retaliated by throwing bricks and stones.
According to the Ittefaq newspaper, fresh confrontations erupted in Narayanganj, where protesters blocked a major road linking the port town with Dhaka and set discarded tyres on fire. Police subsequently used tear gas and batons to clear the route.
Similar incidents were reported in the Ashulia industrial zone, where Industrial Police deployed tear gas and sound grenades after protesters allegedly attacked security personnel with stones and bricks. Clashes were also reported in the Mirpur neighbourhood of Dhaka.
To prevent further escalation, authorities strengthened security arrangements by deploying additional personnel from the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB). The paramilitary force positioned 12 platoons in Gazipur and two in Narayanganj on Tuesday.
The BGB said it was monitoring developments across Dhaka through a dedicated control centre at its headquarters, supported by surveillance drones and body-worn cameras.
The latest round of demonstrations began on Saturday, with workers arguing that a recent salary increase for government employees had further exposed the income gap between different sections of the workforce.
“We pay the same prices for commodities for our living,” a workers’ representative told a private television channel, highlighting the financial difficulties faced by garment employees.
Bangladesh’s apparel industry is already grappling with rising manufacturing expenses, persistent inflation and growing competition in international markets. With inflation hovering around eight per cent, workers maintain that their earnings have not increased sufficiently to match the rising cost of everyday necessities.