Bangladesh police fired tear gas at garment workers demanding higher pay
Bangladesh police fired tear gas and stun grenades Wednesday to disperse garment workers demanding a monthly minimum wage of 30,000 takas ($245), up from 12,500. About 100 factories remained shut in Ashulia, said Mominul Islam Bhuiyan, superintendent of Ashulia Industrial Police. A six-member wage board was expected to begin discussions on the wage structure, The Straits Times reported.
More context
Bangladesh police deployed tear gas and stun grenades Wednesday against garment workers seeking higher pay, police and witnesses said, while hundreds of factories stayed shut. Workers want the monthly minimum raised to 30,000 takas ($245) from 12,500, saying inflation and rising living costs have eroded their purchasing power. Mominul Islam Bhuiyan, superintendent of Ashulia Industrial Police, said roughly 100 factories in Ashulia were still shut. Workers also blocked a major highway in Gazipur district. More than 10,000 police officers had been deployed in Dhaka’s Mirpur area to maintain order, said Mahidul Islam, a joint police commissioner. The government has formed a new wage board; The Straits Times reported that its six members were expected to begin formal discussions on the wage structure. The industry employs about 4 million workers and earns about $40 billion a year from exports.
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Reporting
- Killeen Daily Herald — Bangladesh garment factories close as workers clash with police in pay protests
- Associated Press — Bangladesh garment factories shut as workers clash with police over pay | AP News
- The Straits Times — Bangladesh wage board meets as garment worker protests continue | The Straits Times
- Reuters — Wage unrest tests Bangladesh garment industry's low-cost edge | Reuters
- oskaloosa.com — Bangladesh garment factories close as workers clash with police in pay protests | National News | oskaloosa.com
Verifier’s note
AP News directly reports the factory closures and clashes, with matching AP coverage carried by KDH News and Oskaloosa.com. Reuters and The Straits Times also report the same-day factory disruptions and clashes; the results are consistent with the proposed event.