Amar Bangladesh Party (AB Party) Chairman Mojibur Rahman Monju on Thursday questioned why ruling BNP activists were taking to the streets with sticks to control garment workers' protests, accusing the government of failing to address a growing industrial crisis.

"Why should political activists take on law-and-order duties?" Monju asked at a press conference at the party's central office in Dhaka's Bijoynagar.

He alleged that BNP activists had been seen carrying sticks during the unrest despite the deployment of police, industrial police and other law enforcement agencies. A local lawmaker was also reportedly present, he said.

Monju accused the BNP of repeating the Awami League's practice of using party activists to control protests.

"The BNP demanded neutral law enforcement agencies while in opposition. It should now strengthen those institutions rather than deploy party workers," he said.

The AB Party chairman warned that the government's failure to address workers' grievances could threaten Bangladesh's largest export industry.

"The rights of workers and the interests of the garment industry are not contradictory," he said. "Workers must be paid fair wages, and at the same time the industry's employment and production capacity must be protected."

The garment sector accounts for more than 80% of Bangladesh's export earnings and employs around four million workers, he said, making the unrest a threat to the wider economy and millions of livelihoods.

Monju said rising food prices, house rents, healthcare expenses and transport costs had made existing wages increasingly inadequate.

He urged the government to take seriously workers' demand for a minimum monthly wage of 30,000 taka.

But he also acknowledged the financial pressure on factory owners, citing rising energy, production and borrowing costs alongside low prices offered by international buyers.

Placing the entire burden of higher wages on manufacturers could push smaller factories into financial distress, he warned.

International brands and buyers must also share responsibility for ensuring fair wages, he said.

Monju questioned the government's position on wages, recalling that the BNP had demanded a minimum of 23,000 taka for garment workers while in opposition.

He also noted that Jonayed Saki, now planning minister, had previously supported a minimum wage of 25,000 taka.

"They need to make clear what their position is now on the workers' demand for 30,000 taka," he said.

Supporting higher wages in opposition while adopting a different position in government was unacceptable, he added.

Monju criticised delays in establishing the wage board, saying the initiative began on October 15 but the board was not formally constituted until November 1. Its first meeting took place on November 4.

He said the delays exposed the government's lack of preparedness despite mounting unrest.

Workers' grievances must not be treated merely as a policing problem, he argued.

"It is a question of economic and social justice," he said.

The AB Party also demanded an independent investigation into the death of garment worker Toufiq Hossain in Gazipur.

Monju said the inquiry should establish responsibility for the death, investigate attacks on workers and determine whether law enforcement agencies had performed their duties properly. Its findings must be made public.

He also called for impartial investigations into allegations of political infiltration, provocation and sabotage during the protests.

At the same time, he condemned attacks on vehicles, factories and other establishments, demanding legal action against those responsible.

Barrister Abbas Islam Khan Noman, the party's joint secretary general, presented a series of demands, including a 15-day deadline for the wage board to finalise recommendations for a new pay structure.

The party called for a clear roadmap for wage increases, prioritising negotiations over the proposed 30,000 taka minimum.

If wages are raised in phases, the government must specify the amount and implementation date of each increase, Noman said.

He warned that neither suppressing workers' protests nor allowing violence would resolve the industry's problems.

"The garment industry cannot be sustained in the long run by cutting workers' wages or suppressing their movements," he said.

Noman called for a national policy combining fair wages, responsible factory ownership, higher productivity and government accountability.

"The AB Party wants politics of solving crises before they arise, not politics of reacting after they erupt," he said.

The press conference was moderated by the party's labour affairs secretary Shah Abdur Rahman and attended by senior party leaders and labour representatives.

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