Bangladesh forms wage board as garment workers continue protests
A new board will review minimum wages for garment workers following demonstrations in industrial areas around Dhaka.
Bangladesh formed a new wage board on Sunday, November 1, 2026, to review the minimum wage for garment workers, according to The Hindu. The move comes as authorities attempt to quell protests that have disrupted industrial hubs around Dhaka.
Thousands of workers continued demonstrations in industrial areas on Sunday, leading to clashes with police who used tear gas and sound grenades. In Gazipur, workers blocked the Dhaka-Tangail highway, and protesters set fire to a police box in the Konabari area, according to the Dhaka Tribune.
Labour Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury announced the board at a news conference in Dhaka, stating the government is treating worker demands with utmost importance. He urged workers to return to factories, alleging a coterie is seeking to destabilise the government and exploit workers.
The wage board includes representatives from the government, workers, and factory owners. Senior District and Sessions Judge Sheikh Ashfaqur Rahman will head the board as chairman, with Professor Mosleh Uddin Ahmed serving as an independent representative.
Kalpona Akhter of the Bangladesh Centre for Workers Solidarity said workers currently earn about 13,000 taka ($106) a month. Akhter told AFP that workers are now demanding more than 30,000 taka due to inflation and the rising cost of living.
The garment sector employs more than four million workers and is a major part of the economy. According to the BGMEA, garment exports reached USD 38.70 billion in the 2025-26 financial year.
