Overview
- The Labour Ministry announced on Sunday it will formally constitute a wage board to review garment pay after large protests shut about 25–30 factories in Ashulia and other industrial zones.
- Workers are demanding a minimum monthly wage of 30,000 taka compared with the current 12,500 taka, citing steep rises in food, housing, transport and health costs that have eroded their purchasing power.
- Clashes between protesters and police have injured several people and prompted use of tear gas, sound grenades and water cannon to disperse crowds who blocked highways and intersections.
- Factory owners say the sector is already under pressure from higher production costs, recurring gas and electricity shortages and energy-market uncertainty tied to tensions in the Middle East, which limits their room to raise wages quickly.
- The wage-board move opens formal talks between labour, industry and government but officials have warned that prolonged disruption could delay export shipments, interrupt buyer payments and deepen financial strains for both workers and manufacturers.