DHAKA: On Thursday, November 8, hundreds of cloth workers in Bangladesh protested against a government-managed spend increase, causing the closure of almost 40 companies in the nation’s second-largest clothing exporter.
Witnesses claimed that the protesters, who demanded a two-fold boost from the government, attacked police and damaged several companies in Gazipur’s cloth hub, which is outside the capital.
Imran Ahmed, a nearby police official, said,” We managed to bring the situation under control.” In Gazipur and the local Ashulia business belt, authorities have stationed additional paramilitary and police forces, he continued.
The government announced on Tuesday that the minimum monthly wage would increase by 56.25 percent to 12, 500 taka ( US$ 114 ) starting on December 1—the first increase in five years. The garment industry is a majorstay of Bangladesh’s economy, accounting for 16 % of GDP.
The staff wants more. At various Ashulia factories, workers broken tools on Thursday, forcing them to shut down, according to police.
Rates are skyrocketing, it says. We are merely asking for fair give. Until our demands are met, we wo n’t go back to work, one of the protesters declared.
Officers used teargas and plastic bullets to disperse the protests on Wednesday, which also coincided with violent anti-government demonstrations calling for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation and a free and fair election to be held under retaken power. One person was killed in the process.
Bangladesh’s garment industry, which employs 4 million people and has 4, 000 companies that supply international companies like H&, M, and Gap, has grown thanks to low wages.
In order to support higher wages for employees, a US organization representing more than 1,000 international brands declared its commitment to paying Bangladeshi manufacturers higher order prices.