Bangladesh Forms Wage Board as Garment Worker Protests Continue

Bangladesh has formed a new wage board to review the minimum wage for its garment workers, as thousands of workers continued to protest around Dhaka. Al Jazeera reported the board was formed on November 1, 2026.

The six-member board includes representatives of the government, workers and factory owners. Its task is to determine a new minimum wage, meaning the lowest monthly pay employers may legally give workers.

The demonstrations began on Saturday. On Sunday, clashes were reported in which police fired tear gas and sound grenades, a type of explosive device designed to produce a loud noise and disorient crowds. About 30 garment factories on the outskirts of Dhaka, the capital, declared holidays in response to the unrest.

Workers are demanding a minimum monthly wage of 30,000 taka ($242), the national currency. The current minimum is 12,500 taka ($101) a month.

The garment industry is central to the country's economy. Al Jazeera reported that Bangladesh's garment sector is the largest in the world after China's and contributes about 10 percent of gross domestic product, the total value of a country's goods and services.

Wage protests have halted production before. In November 2023, Bangladesh raised the garment minimum wage by 56.25 percent after a week of protests, according to Reuters. In September 2024, unrest over pay and conditions left one person dead, and hundreds of workers blocked a major highway, Reuters reported.