Bangladesh’s garment factories briefly returned to work on Monday, 2 November 2026, after a widespread shutdown the previous day, but renewed confrontations between workers and police soon forced hundreds of plants to stop production again.
Workers seeking a minimum monthly wage of 30,000 taka, about US$243, compared with the present 12,500 taka, blocked roads, damaged factories and clashed with police in major manufacturing areas including Dhaka, Ashulia and Gazipur. Reuters reporting carried by Channel NewsAsia said 679 factories suspended production as a result.
Police said tear gas was used to clear workers who were trying to block roads in Dhaka after officers were hit with bricks and stones. Police and industry officials also said protesters set a police vehicle on fire and damaged a number of factories. Mahmud Hasan Khan, president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said about 20 to 25 factories were vandalised.
The government formed a six-member wage board on Sunday to examine the demands, which have gathered strength amid persistent inflation and rising living costs.
Bangladesh ranks as the world’s second-largest garment exporter, behind China. Its ready-made garment sector provides more than 80 per cent of export earnings, employs around 4 million people and makes up roughly 10 per cent of economic output.
The disruption has raised concerns about shipment delays and buyer confidence in a key supplier to brands such as H&M, Zara, Walmart and Primark, at an important stage in the production cycle for spring and summer export orders.
Home Affairs Minister Salahuddin Ahmed warned of firm action against anyone acting against workers’ interests while posing as labour protesters. Fresh protests were also reported on Tuesday morning in Gazipur, where workers blocked the Dhaka-Tangail highway in support of the 30,000-taka wage demand.
Source: Reuters, via Channel NewsAsia. The image is illustrative only, not a photo of the actual events.
