Wage protests shut hundreds of Bangladesh garment factories
The gist
Bangladeshi garment workers demanding a 30,000-taka minimum wage forced hundreds of factories to suspend production.
The sector earns over 80% of Bangladesh's export income, so the standoff hits the whole economy.
How it unfolded
- Oct 31, 2026Protests shut dozens of factories and triggered clashes with police; about 30 garment factories in Ashulia were declared holidays, per an Ashulia Industrial Police superintendent.
- Nov 1, 2026Thousands of workers blocked roads in Dhaka and Gazipur; police used tear gas and water cannons, and protesters threw bricks. The government announced it would set up a wage board.
- Nov 2, 2026Factories reopened but fresh clashes forced hundreds to suspend production again; BGMEA said unrest disrupted 529 factories and affected nearly 1 million workers. A six-member minimum wage board was formed but failed to immediately quell unrest.