Garment workers’ strike in Bangladesh has turned violent as they demand higher wages. Thousands of workers took to the streets in the capital Dhaka and Gazipur. During the protests, incidents of vandalism and arson took place at several places, while clashes also took place between the police and the demonstrators. A large number of police and border guards have been deployed in industrial areas to control the situation. Bangladesh (BGB) personnel have been deployed.
The protesting workers are demanding that their minimum monthly wages be increased from Rs 12,500 to Rs 30,000. This means that the salary hike is around 140 percent. Workers say that the cost of food, housing, transport and health services continues to rise due to inflation. In such a situation, it is becoming difficult to meet the expenses of the family with the current salary.
Factories were affected in many industrial areas
In fact, after the announcement of the new pay scale for government employees, garment workers have also raised their demand for a huge hike in their salaries. The Bangladesh government has set up a six-member wage board to resolve the dispute, but the protests show no sign of abating.
There is tension in many industrial areas of Dhaka and Ghazipur. Violent protests have affected work in many garment factories. This is expected to affect production and exports. Security forces have been deployed in sensitive areas to handle the situation.
The garment industry is important to the economy of Bangladesh
The garment industry plays an important role in the economy of Bangladesh. The industry provides employment to about 4 million people and contributes more than 80 percent to the country’s total exports. In such a situation, textile production, international export orders and employment may be affected if the workers’ protests continue for a long time. Along with this, this crisis can also become a challenge for the economic and political stability of the country.
