Garment factories across the industrial belts of Gazipur and Savar have largely resumed production after several days of labour unrest, road blockades and clashes over wage demands. Workers returned after representatives of factory owners and workers agreed to the recommendations of the minimum wage board.
The situation remained largely calm today (8 November). Industrial police officials said workers joined factories in an orderly manner in areas including Konabari, Shafipur, Palli Bidyut, Chandra, Basan Road, Tongi, Salna, Bhabanipur and Banglabazar in Gazipur. A few isolated incidents were reported, but most factories resumed work.
The unrest centred on workers’ demand to raise the monthly minimum wage in the garment sector to Tk30,000. Protesters blocked the Dhaka-Tangail and Dhaka-Mymensingh highways, and vandalism and clashes with law enforcers were reported. In Gazipur, a police box, police vehicles and a factory warehouse were set on fire, and several workers and police personnel were injured. Several factories suspended production and announced holidays for security reasons.
In Banglabazar, garment worker Toufiq Hossain was allegedly assaulted for recording videos of the protests and vandalism on his mobile phone. He later died during treatment, which raised tension further.
The government then formed a minimum wage board to address the demands. Under the agreed arrangement, the new wage structure will take effect in December, and workers will receive adjusted salaries from January 2027.
Workers in Savar also returned peacefully on the first working day of the week. An Industrial Police official said no untoward incident was reported until 11am. After that, workers from around eight to 10 factories in Jamgora and adjoining areas came out and tried to take positions on the roads, and police dispersed them. He said production was at full capacity in most factories and expected the situation to become fully normal in a day or two.
Security measures remained in place for the ninth consecutive day. Mohammad Shahriar Nazir, additional deputy commissioner (revenue) of Gazipur, who is coordinating the deployment, said 25 executive magistrates were overseeing 25 platoons of specialised forces: 12 of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), five of Ansar and eight of SRB. Gazipur Industrial Police Superintendent Mohammad Amzad Hossain said workers entered all major industrial areas without any untoward incident.
