Bangladesh Sets Up Wage Board Amid Violent Garment Worker Protests
Bangladesh launches a six‑member wage board to review garment workers' pay as protests turn violent, blocking roads and shutting factories across Dhaka.
POLICY WIRE — Dhaka, Bangladesh — The government announced on Sunday the creation of a six‑member wage board to reassess the minimum pay for garment sector employees, while street protests demanding higher wages continued to erupt across the capital’s industrial districts.
The board, slated to begin work on Nov. 1, will examine current wage levels and propose adjustments, and officials urged workers to return to their jobs as the dispute escalated.
Demonstrators in the Mirpur area blocked key thoroughfares, set vehicles ablaze and clashed with police, leading to several arrests.
In the outskirts of Ashulia, authorities reported the shutdown of about 50 factories after workers staged sit‑ins over stagnant wages.
Transport routes linking major garment hubs experienced interruptions, and the unrest has pressured manufacturers to suspend production in several zones.
Labor groups say the protests reflect mounting living‑cost pressures and demand a substantial rise in the sector’s baseline salary.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
