Bangladesh Garment Workers Protest for Higher Minimum Wage

Garment workers in Bangladesh resumed protests on November 10, demanding the monthly minimum wage be raised from 12,500 taka to 30,000 taka. Clashes erupted in the Ashulia industrial area after workers blocked the Baipail-Abdullahpur Road, prompting police to deploy tear gas and sound grenades.

Two workers from Sterling Style, Alamgir Hossain and Rafia Begum, were injured during the unrest. Harun ur Rashid, operations manager of Ashulia Women and Children Hospital, reported the injuries were caused by rubber bullets. However, Mohammad Mominul Islam Bhuiyan, superintendent of Ashulia Industrial Police-1, disputed this claim, stating one injury resulted from a brickbat.

In response to the violence, authorities ordered the indefinite closure of all New Age Group factories in Ashulia. To stabilize the region, Border Guard Bangladesh deployed 36 platoons across Dhaka, Gazipur, and Narayanganj, utilizing drones and body-worn cameras for surveillance. While a wage board has agreed to implement a revised pay structure in December, the specific amount of the increase has not yet been decided.