RMG unrest: 500 factories shut, owners pledge to reopen on Saturday

Garment factory owners pledged to reopen their factories on Saturday after more than 500 factories in Dhaka, Gazipur, and Savar were shut down due to the ongoing worker protests demanding an increase in the minimum wage.

"We hope the workers will join work on Saturday. If not, we will be forced to permanently shut down our factories," said Faruque Hassan, president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).

State Minister for Labour and Employment Munnujan Sufian yesterday convened a meeting with labour leaders.

"The minimum wage for ready-made garments workers proposed by factory owners is unreasonable. The Ministry of Labour will submit recommendations to the wage board for fixing acceptable wages in accordance with market rates," she told reporters after the meeting.

A decision has been made to introduce a rationing system for garment workers, she said, adding that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has agreed to this decision.

Monnujan Sufian stated that the wage board could reach a decision in the upcoming meeting by engaging in discussions with both parties to determine the wages.

"If a consensus cannot be reached, the prime minister will make the final decision," she added.

During the press conference, the minister appealed to the workers to return to their duties.

However, worker representatives say acceptable wages must be announced immediately in order to get workers back to work.

Md Tawhidur Rahman, former secretary general of the IndustryAll Bangladesh Council, told TBS, "Acceptable wages for workers should be announced in the next meeting. Delays and unacceptable wages could spell doom for the industry and workers."

The BGMEA reported the closure of around 200 factories yesterday, with no major violence reported. More than 300 factories were closed as of Wednesday due to the unrest.

Industrial police sources said workers vandalised two factories in Ashulia yesterday, and police dispersed protesting workers in Mirpur-10 and Mirpur-12 areas using tear gas and sound grenades.

Shahidul Islam, assistant commissioner of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Pallabi zone, said, "We had received information that the workers were gathering here. We were then able to remove them from the main road with minimal tear gas and sound grenades, following the orders of our senior authorities. Three people have been detained for questioning."

To tackle the unrest, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have commenced joint patrols in the garment industrial zones, working in collaboration with the industrial police and local law enforcement.

Meanwhile, Iftequer Hossain, former president of the Bangladesh Garment Buying House Association, called for acceptable wages to be determined through negotiation, warning that the chaotic situation in the garment industry is harmful to the industry.

Regarding the ongoing unrest, Bangladesh Sramik Federation President Shahjahan Khan said the BNP is attempting to leverage workers as a shield for political gain under the guise of a labour movement.

Garment workers have been protesting for a week demanding a minimum wage of Tk23,000, despite efforts by the government, workers' leaders, and owners' associations to normalise the situation.

On 21 October, readymade garments factory workers demanded that their minimum wage be increased from the existing Tk8,000 to Tk20,390 while the owners have proposed to increase it to Tk10,400.

On 30 October, at least two people were killed and about 40 injured in massive clashes between police and ready-made garment workers in several industrial areas in Ashulia, Savar, and Gazipur.

Following the weeklong clashes, the factory owners on Wednesday agreed to pay higher minimum wages to garment workers than Tk10,400, which they proposed earlier.

RAB finds RMG worker believed to be dead in Mirpur clash

A garment worker – who was believed to be dead after a clash erupted during Tuesday's protest in Mirpur – has been found alive, said the Rapid Action Battalion yesterday.

Josna Begum was found in Mirpur's Pallabi area on Wednesday, Lt Col Abdur Rahman, commanding officer of RAB-4 confirmed the matter to The Business Standard.

The garment workers protested against the alleged attacks and deaths during their programme yesterday, said the RAB official.

The workers had informed the elite force that Josna was killed in the clash and her body went missing. Later, the RAB investigated the incident. On information, they found Josna Pallabi's Kalshi area in Mirpur. "She is healthy and currently at home. RAB-4 has been in constant contact with her," said the RAB official.

RAB-4 Additional SP Muzahidul Islam told TBS, "When the workers spread a rumour that three people were killed in Tuesday's clash with the police and locals, we asked them to provide details of the deceased. They couldn't share the names or other details.

"Later, we thoroughly searched several hospitals in Agargaon and Mirpur. Then we came to know about an injured worker Josna Begum who is now at her Rahmat camp home in Kalshi. She is injured but her condition is not critical."