Bangladesh garment wage protests enter fourth day, halting hundreds of factories

Four days of protests across Dhaka's industrial belt

Garment workers in Bangladesh returned to the streets on Tuesday, 3 November, for a fourth consecutive day of protests over low pay. The demonstrations began on Saturday, 31 October, and have centred on industrial districts around Dhaka, including Ashulia, Gazipur and Mirpur, where crowds have tried to block the main highways into and out of the capital. Security forces have used tear gas to break up the crowds, and some clashes have continued despite a heavy police presence. Injury counts vary between reports: at least 50 police officers were reported hurt, while authorities put the figure at 58 and said 57 people had been detained. No civilian casualty toll had been published by the authorities at the time of reporting.

How the unrest escalated

Reported closures range from about 200 factories to more than 650. On Sunday, 1 November, protests in Dhaka turned violent, with demonstrators blocking roads, vandalising factories and setting vehicles on fire, while police fired tear gas and later reported dozens of arrests. Some factories briefly reopened on Monday, 2 November, but fresh confrontations forced more than 650 factories to stop operations again, according to one report, while agency reports cited by the BBC put the figure at about 670. Hundreds of factories were expected to remain closed on Tuesday, 3 November. Factory owners warn that the shutdowns could delay shipments and damage the country's reputation with buyers, and they point to higher operating costs and energy market uncertainty linked to the conflict in the Middle East.

Wage demands and the government response

Workers want a minimum monthly wage of 30,000 taka, compared with the current minimum of 12,500 taka, and say inflation and rising living costs have eroded their earnings. On Sunday, 1 November, the government set up a six-member wage board to review pay, but workers said the move had not calmed the protests. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman held an emergency meeting with ministers on the unrest, according to the BBC. Security forces said they were taking steps to get workers back to their posts and had rejected excessive use of force. Authorities have accused the Awami League, the banned party of former leader Sheikh Hasina, of exploiting the protests to instigate violence. Dhaka police Deputy Commissioner Mohidul Islam said at least 29 protesters had been arrested as of 2 November and warned that anyone creating an "unstable environment in the garment factories" would face the law. Another report said more than 30 people linked to the Awami League were detained on the latest day.

Current minimum wage12,500

Workers' demand30,000

Current minimum wage

12500 taka

Workers' demand

30000 taka

Data from the article text

Workers say wages no longer cover basic costs

Laili Begum, a 37-year-old sewing operator at Virtual Bottoms Limited, a garment factory near Dhaka, earns about 15,000 taka a month, rising to 18,000 to 20,000 taka with overtime, Al Jazeera reported. Her 15-year-old daughter and 12-year-old son left school earlier this year because the family could no longer pay for their education. Describing the family's daily diet, she said:

“We can barely afford one proper meal a day.”

Begum is one of roughly four million garment workers in Bangladesh, about half of them women. The sector supplies global brands such as H&M, Zara and Gap and accounts for more than 80% of export earnings, while the industry as a whole is worth about $40bn a year and roughly 10% of GDP. Al Jazeera noted that Cambodia's garment minimum wage is $210 a month and Vietnam's ranges from $140 to $210, placing Bangladesh among the lowest-paid apparel producers.