Bangladesh Garment Workers Clash With Police, Block Highways As Wage Protests Intensify; 670 Factories Shut

Violent protests by garment workers demanding a subtantial hike in minimum wages continued across Bangladesh for the third consecutive day on Monday, with thousands of demonstrators clashing with police, blocking major highways and setting vehicles on fire.

The escalating unrest has forced hundreds of factories to shut and prompted authorities to deploy additional paramilitary forces. Workers are demanding that their minimum monthly wage be increased more than double from 12,500 Bangladeshi taka to 30,000 taka (around $242).

Demonstrations were reported in several industrial areas, including Gazipur, Ashulia, Mirpur and Narayanganj, while factories in and around Dhaka remained closed amid concerns over further violence. According to the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), 670 of around 4,000 registered garment factories in Dhaka, Gazipur and central Mymensingh have been forced to suspend operations.

Hundreds of workers blocked the Dhaka-Tangail highway in Gazipur, a major industrial belt north of the capital, while demonstrators also took to the streets in Mirpur. Protesters reportedly vandalised vehicles, set tyres on fire and torched police vans.

Clashes were also reported in Ashulia and Narayanganj. Police used tear gas, water cannons and batons to disperse demonstrators, while additional Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel were deployed to help restore order.

Gazipur Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Nurul Karim Bhuiyan said 10 platoons of BGB personnel had been sent to the industrial zone. Industrial Police Superintendent Amzad Hossain said more than 150 factories in Gazipur alone had shut on Monday.

At least two BGB personnel and several others, including journalists, were injured in the clashes, according to local media reports. Sunday's violence had left at least 50 people injured, including around 15 police personnel.

The unrest has also affected factory operations in other industrial hubs. Industry representatives said workers from at least 529 factories in Dhaka and surrounding areas, including Savar, Ashulia, Jirani and Gazipur, had left their workplaces.

The demonstrations have continued despite the government's announcement on Sunday that it would set up a wage board to review the existing pay structure and recommend revised minimum wages. The board, headed by Senior District and Sessions Judge Sheikh Ashfaqur Rahman, includes representatives of workers and factory owners, as well as independent experts.

Labour leaders, however, say the formation of the board has not addressed workers' immediate concerns over pay, inflation and rising household expenses. The current minimum monthly wage is 12,500 taka, while protesters are seeking 30,000 taka.

The unrest prompted Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to convene an emergency meeting late Sunday with the Home Minister, Labour Minister and other senior ministers to discuss the situation. Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said the prime minister had directed the government to protect workers' rights and improve their living standards while ensuring that production and exports were not disrupted.

He also urged law enforcement agencies to take action against those involved in violence and disorder. "We are requesting law enforcement agencies to crack down on those involved in violence, unruly behaviour and unnecessary indiscipline and unrest," AFP quoted Ahmed as saying.

Labour and Employment Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury had urged workers to return to their jobs following the wage board announcement, expressing hope that it would begin its work at the earliest. The government has also alleged that supporters of the banned Awami League are attempting to fuel the protests and destabilise the country.

Home Minister Ahmed claimed that some factory owners associated with the party, along with former lawmakers and junior ministers, were involved in creating unrest. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman had also linked the situation to alleged attempts to destabilise Bangladesh ahead of December.

Labour and Employment Adviser Mahdi Amin said the government had found evidence of attempts by fugitive forces to infiltrate the workers' movement, in an apparent reference to the Awami League. He warned that those involved would face legal action.