Bangladesh garment workers defy wage board, continue protests

Summary

• Thousands of garment workers in Bangladesh continued protests on Sunday, demanding higher wages despite the government’s announcement of a six-member wage board to review their salaries.
• The government has urged workers to return to factories and resume operations, but demonstrations across major industrial areas have continued, disrupting transport and manufacturing activities.
• The latest demonstrations followed similar protests in Ashulia, another major garment manufacturing hub near Dhaka, where dozens of factories suspended operations on Saturday after workers demanded better pay.

AI Generated Summary

Thousands of garment workers in Bangladesh continued protests on Sunday, demanding higher wages despite the government’s announcement of a six-member wage board to review their salaries.

The government has urged workers to return to factories and resume operations, but demonstrations across major industrial areas have continued, disrupting transport and manufacturing activities.

Garment workers are demanding a minimum monthly wage of 30,000 taka, equivalent to around $245, compared with the existing minimum wage of 12,500 taka. They say rising costs of food, housing, transportation and healthcare have made it increasingly difficult to meet their basic needs.