Bangladesh garment factories disrupted as workers protest for higher wages

Garment factories in Bangladesh reopened on November 2, 2026, following widespread closures caused by violent worker protests demanding minimum monthly wages be raised from 12,500 taka to 30,000 taka. Demonstrations affected 529 factories and nearly one million workers across Dhaka and Gazipur, prompting police to deploy tear gas and water cannon. In response, the government formed a six-member minimum wage board, while Prime Minister Tarique Rahman ordered law enforcement to crack down on violent disruptions.

Timeline of factory closures

• ▪Garment factories in Bangladesh reopened on November 2, 2026, after temporary closures and production disruptions on November 1, 2026
• ▪About 500 garment factories in Bangladesh were temporarily shuttered after worker protests initially began on October 31, 2026

Worker wage demands and union responses

• ▪Garment workers in Bangladesh staged protests across Dhaka, Gazipur, Savar, and Ashulia demanding an increase in the minimum monthly wage from 12,500 taka to 30,000 taka
• ▪Ekota Garments Sramik Federation general secretary Kamrul Hasan stated on November 2, 2026, that several labor union leaders had gone into hiding amid ongoing unrest

Clashes and law enforcement actions

• ▪Demonstrators set fire to a garment factory fabric warehouse and a pickup van in Gazipur while blocking the Dhaka-Tangail highway on November 1, 2026
• ▪Law enforcement deployed five platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh to Gazipur and utilized tear gas and water cannon in Dhaka to clear road blockades set up by garment workers
• ▪Protesting garment workers in Dhaka clashed with law enforcement on November 1, 2026, torching a police vehicle and leading to the arrest of individuals

Factory owners' response to protests

• ▪Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association president Mahmud Hasan Khan warned that owners would invoke the 'no work, no pay' provision if violent protests forced further factory shutdowns
• ▪Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association president Mahmud Hasan Khan urged protesting workers to allow the newly formed minimum wage board to proceed with its review of the minimum wage demand

Cabinet directives on unrest

• ▪Prime Minister Tarique Rahman convened an emergency cabinet meeting where Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed instructed law enforcement to take action against violent behavior during the garment worker protests
• ▪Prime Minister Tarique Rahman instructed government ministers on November 1, 2026, to protect workers' rights while ensuring garment production and exports continue unhindered

Formation and membership of minimum wage board

• ▪Bangladesh's six-member minimum wage board includes BGMEA director ABM Shamsuddin and Bangladesh Employers' Federation joint secretary-general Asif Ayub representing owners, alongside BGIWF general secretary Babul Akhter and Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal president Anwar Hossain representing workers
• ▪The Bangladeshi government announced the formation of a minimum wage board, chaired by Senior District and Sessions Judge Sheikh Ashfaqur Rahman

Economic importance of the garment sector

• ▪Bangladesh is the world's second-largest apparel exporter behind China, with its ready-made garment sector employing approximately four million workers
• ▪The ready-made garment sector accounts for over 80 percent of Bangladesh's export earnings and contributes roughly 10 percent to the country's gross domestic product