Bangladesh Garment Factories Close as Police Clash With Striking Workers

OPA WIRE, Nov 4 (OPA) — Police in Bangladesh clashed with garment workers on Wednesday as days of protests over low wages escalated outside the capital of Dhaka. Authorities deployed tear gas and stun grenades to disperse crowds after demonstrations disrupted an industry that generates roughly $40 billion annually in exports.

Workers are demanding an increase in the minimum monthly wage to 30,000 takas ($245), up from the current 12,500 takas. Demonstrators argue that persistent inflation and soaring living costs have severely eroded their purchasing power. The massive garment sector employs about 4 million people, the vast majority of whom are women from rural regions.

Violence erupted across several industrial outskirts on Wednesday, including Fatullah in the Narayanganj district, where dozens sustained injuries and police arrested several protesters. In Ashulia, located in Savar near Dhaka, approximately 100 factories remained shuttered. Protesters also blocked a major highway in the industrial hub of Gazipur.

Authorities deployed more than 10,000 police officers to the Mirpur district of Dhaka to maintain order following recent unrest. In response to the labor demands, the government has formed a wage board. The board's chairman, Syed Azad Subhani, stated that workers will receive their first paychecks under the new wage scale in January.