Nearly 700,000 workers affected as over 300 factories shut

The latest garment workers' protests have affected nearly 700,000 workers, with more than 300 factories remaining closed as of Tuesday in Gazipur, Ashulia and Mirpur in the capital, according to the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).

BGMEA data showed that a total of 694,793 workers remained out of work as 306 factories suspended operations across the three major garment manufacturing hubs.

Gazipur accounted for the largest share of closures, with 161 factories suspending operations, affecting 429,273 workers.

In Ashulia, 93 factories remained closed, affecting 224,320 workers, while 52 factories in Mirpur shut down, leaving 41,200 workers without work.

Daily Waadaa had earlier reported that around 500 factories remained shut, citing a BGMEA vice-president. However, the latest BGMEA data put the number of closed factories at 306 as of Tuesday.

Garment workers have been protesting for several days, demanding a minimum monthly wage of 30,000 taka amid rising living costs.

The demonstrations have spread across major garment manufacturing hubs, disrupting factory operations and traffic.

More than 100 people, including five workers' leaders, have been arrested in connection with the protests as of Tuesday.

The government formed a six-member wage board on Sunday to review the existing wage structure and recommend a new minimum wage.

The notifications instructed the chairman of the Minimum Wage Board to initiate the process of determining a new minimum wage for garment workers in consultation with representatives of employers, workers and neutral members.

In Gazipur, garment workers attempted to block the Dhaka-Tangail Highway at several points, bringing traffic on parts of the highway almost to a standstill and prompting the deployment of additional law enforcement personnel.

At around 9:30am, workers blocked the highway in front of Diganta Sweater factory in the Naojor area. They also set fire to roadside waste, bringing vehicular movement between Joydebpur Chowrasta and Naojor intersection to a complete halt.

As tensions escalated, platoons of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) were deployed in Gazipur to help maintain law and order.

In Dhaka, garment workers took to the streets in Mirpur-11 at around 10am, triggering clashes with police.

Law enforcement personnel fired sound grenades and tear gas shells to disperse the demonstrators and bring the situation under control. Several people were detained during the unrest.

Hasan Mohammad Naser Rikabder, deputy commissioner of police for the Mirpur division, said five police personnel were injured in the clash.

One of them, Constable Md Saymon of Pallabi Police Station, remains admitted to Rajarbagh Central Police Hospital.

Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) President Mohammad Hatem told Waadaa that factory owners would have no option but to shut down their units under Section 13(1) of the Bangladesh Labour Act if protests and disruptions continued.

The provision allows employers to declare a lockout under certain circumstances, raising concerns about the potential impact of prolonged labour unrest on workers' livelihoods and factory operations.

Mohiuddin Rubel, founder and CEO of Bangladesh Apparel Voice and Denim Expert Ltd, told Waadaa that the continuing unrest had disrupted production across major garment manufacturing hubs.