Some of you might still remember the struggle for an increase in minimum wages in the garment sector of Bangladesh in 2023. Back then the situation escalated. The para-military forces known as BGB (Border Guard Bangladesh) were deployed, factories burnt and at least five workers in the clashes.
In the end the minimum wage was raised to 12,500 BDT (currently 90 EUR | 101 USD) as announced by the wage board. It was not enough for a life in dignity back than and it also also not enough three years later – after more than 30% inflation.

Therefore workers started to take to the streets again this month. Thousands rallied in the streets of Uttara, in Dhaka, on October 17th. The protest was attacked by riot police leaving at least 50 people injured.

The Daily Star reports:

For some garment workers, earning Tk 19,000 to Tk 20,000 a month means working 15 to 16 hours a day, including overtime, labour representatives told The Daily Star.

Even then, their earnings barely cover rent, food, children’s education and medicine. One representative said monthly rent for accommodation that cost Tk 2,500 a few years ago has risen to around Tk 7,500.

The Garment Workers’ Trade Union Center (GWTUC) released the following statement:

Workers of the world, unite!
Garment Workers Trade Union Center
Head Office: Mukti Bhaban (8th Floor), 2 Kamrul Muni Singh Road, Purana Paltan, Dhaka-1000.
Contact: 01914805890, 01636021181, 01848988800

Press Release 16 October 2026

A meeting of the central executive committee of the Garment Workers Trade Union Center was held.
The minimum wage in the garment industry must be declared at Tk 35,000.

At a meeting of the central executive committee of the Garment Workers Trade Union Center, held on Thursday, the organization’s leaders stated that garment workers have long been deprived of their rightful wages. They said that the current minimum wage of Tk 12,500 is inadequate in light of the rising cost of living and the prices of essential goods. They called for an immediate movement to demand a minimum wage of Tk 35,000 through a systematic and organized process.nnThe meeting stated that the wages of garment workers are determined through a legally prescribed process involving negotiations between employers and workers. Therefore, it is necessary for workers to raise their wage demands accurately and in an organized manner. The Garment Workers Trade Union Center believes that, given current market conditions, the industry’s productivity, the value added to manufactured goods, and workers’ contributions, the minimum wage in the garment industry cannot reasonably be less than Tk 35,000.nnToday, Friday, 16 October 2026, a meeting of the central executive committee of the Garment Workers Trade Union Center was held at 10:00 a.m. at the organization’s central office in Mukti Bhaban, Dhaka. The meeting was presided over by the organization’s president, freedom fighter Mantu Ghosh and its general secretary Sadekur Rahman Shamim, conducted the proceedings. Among those who spoke were Vice President Joly Talukder, Ziaul Kabir Khokan, Deputy General Secretary Monzur Moin, Central Commitee Member Dulal Saha, Mohammad Shahjahan, Azizul Islam among others. At the meeting, the Garment Workers Trade Union Center’s leaders called for the formation of a wage board for the garment industry and for the announcement and implementation of a new wage structure for garment workers as soon as possible. They also urged the government to play a responsible role in ensuring genuine worker representation on the wage board.

The leaders of the Garment Workers Trade Union Center stated that workers must be able to negotiate effectively with employers when determining wages. They noted that in the most recent wage-setting process in 2023, workers demanded a minimum wage of Tk 25,000, but the final amount was set at only Tk 12,500. Drawing on this experience, they emphasized that workers must strengthen their organizational capacity and unity to achieve their demands through meaningful and effective collective action.nnAddressing fellow workers, the leaders said that workers must organize themselves, build unity, and increase their ability to raise demands collectively. They stressed that the strength of workers’ organizations is essential to securing their rightful wages.nnThe leaders of the Garment Workers Trade Union Center appealed to the public, stating that even when workers work overtime, many still cannot meet their families’ basic needs. Considering the actual cost of living and the current economic situation, they called for an immediate campaign to increase garment workers’ minimum monthly wage. They urged all conscientious members of society to support this demand.
The meeting concluded that the campaign for higher wages must proceed through lawful, democratic, and organized means. The Garment Workers Trade Union Center called on all workers’ organizations to unite and work together in support of the movement.

With thanks,

Issued by:
Lutfar Rahman Akash
Office Secretary

For further information check out:
Garment Workers Deserve A Living Wage (comment by The Daily Star)
Wage Board for garment workers soon: Labour secretary (The Business Standard)

Video in Portuguese made by comrades of UTT (Brazil) in solidarity with the struggle of garment workers in Bangladesh:

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