Report by Kamgar Ekta committee correspondent
Thousands of garment workers of Bangladesh have taken to the streets, facing tear gas and sound grenades from police.
Garment workers are seeking a minimum monthly wage of 30,000 taka (Rs.22,800), more than double the current wage of 12,500 taka (Rs. 9,500).
Bangladesh has “among the lowest garment wages in the world”, said Babul Akhter, general secretary of the Bangladesh Garment and Industrial Workers Federation.
“If factory owners cannot pay workers properly, they should negotiate better prices with international buyers. They cannot build a business on the backs of underpaid workers,” Akhter added.
“We want the government to accept our demands and increase our wages. [And] they need to instruct landlords and homeowners not to raise rent and ensure that the prices of essential commodities remain affordable,” one female worker said.
“Food prices, cooking gas and electricity bills have all gone up,” a 28-year-old factory worker, said. “The government must either bring down the prices of essential commodities or raise our wages.”
Bangladesh’s textile industry employs around 40 lakh workers and manufactures garments for major global brands including H&M, Primark and Uniqlo.
Bangladesh’s garment industry is a key source of export earnings and employment.
In an attempt to stop the protests, the Bangladesh government formed a new wage board on Sunday, 1 November 2026 to review the minimum wage for garment workers.