Mirpur (Bangladesh) (AFP) - Thousands of workers in Bangladesh's garment industry blocked a major highway and clashed with police Monday, demanding that the monthly minimum wage be raised to more than double its current level, as protests widened in industrial areas.
Published on: 02/11/2026 - 09:01
Bangladesh is the second largest clothing exporter in the world after China, as it manufactures clothing for some of the largest international brands.
AFP reporters saw hundreds of workers in Ghazipur, north of the capital, Dhaka, blocking the highway linking Dhaka and Tangail and vandalizing a number of vehicles, while large groups took to the streets in the Mirpur area, where police dispersed the demonstrators using tear gas.
The protests came despite the government's announcement on Sunday to form a council to review the minimum wage in the garment industry, which employs millions of people and provides the bulk of Bangladesh's export revenues.
But union leaders confirm that the workers’ demands go beyond forming the council, pointing to inflation and the high living expenses of families.
The protesters are demanding that their monthly wages be raised to 30,000 taka ($241), compared to about 13,000 taka currently, according to labor activist Kalpona Akter, who works at the Bangladesh Center for Solidarity with Workers.
Interior Minister Salah al-Din Ahmed told reporters after an emergency government meeting on Sunday, “The Prime Minister directed us to guarantee the rights of workers and improve their living standards. He also directed us to ensure the continuation of production and exports without obstacles.”
In turn, Kamrul Hassan, Secretary General of the Ekota Garment Workers Union, told Agence France-Presse on Monday that some union leaders had disappeared.
Representatives of the garment industry, who requested to remain anonymous, confirmed that workers in at least 529 factories in Dhaka and its surrounding industrial areas, including Savar, Ashulia, Girani and Ghazipur, left their workplaces on Sunday.
© 2026 AFP
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