Bangladesh blames Hasina for garment unrest as nearly 1,000 factories shut

The Bangladesh government on Tuesday accused deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina of orchestrating unrest in the country's garment industry as violent protests demanding higher wages entered their fourth day, forcing nearly 1,000 factories to suspend operations and prompting authorities to deploy additional paramilitary forces.

According to the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), another 300 factories suspended operations following fresh violence, taking the number of affected units to nearly 1,000 since the protests began on October 31.

The unrest has spread across Dhaka and major industrial centres, including Gazipur, Ashulia, Mirpur, Narayanganj and Mymensingh, with workers blocking roads, clashing with security personnel and disrupting production.

Workers are demanding an increase in the minimum monthly wage from 12,500 taka (approximately Rs 9,507) to 30,000 taka (around Rs 23,000), arguing that rising prices of food, housing, transport and healthcare have substantially eroded their purchasing power.

𝗚𝗼𝘃𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗛𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗮 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗻𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's Information Affairs Adviser Zahedur Rahman accused Hasina of being behind the protests, alleging that the former premier was attempting to destabilise the government.

"I do not believe Sheikh Hasina will let the government remain in peace as long as she is alive. As long as Hasina would remain alive, acts of sabotage could continue," Rahman told a media briefing.

His remarks marked a departure from his earlier assertion that Hasina and her disbanded Awami League had become politically irrelevant in Bangladesh.

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed also alleged on Monday that certain garment factory owners associated with the Awami League were encouraging the unrest.

Labour and Employment Adviser Mahdi Amin claimed the government had found evidence of infiltration by "fugitive evil powers" into the workers' movement, in an apparent reference to the Awami League.

Amin said those responsible would be identified and face legal action. However, the government did not publicly present detailed evidence substantiating its allegations against Hasina.

The accusations came despite Ahmed's earlier assertion in July that the Awami League had been politically destroyed and would not return to Bangladesh's political landscape.

𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟬𝟬 𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘀 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱

Police have arrested more than 100 people in connection with the unrest, officials said, adding that approximately 50 of those detained were associated with Awami League politics.

Fresh clashes were reported in Narayanganj, where workers blocked a major road connecting the industrial port town with Dhaka and set discarded tyres ablaze.

According to the Bengali newspaper Ittefaq, police used tear gas and batons to disperse protesters who had obstructed traffic.

In the Ashulia industrial zone, Industrial Police fired tear gas and sound grenades after demonstrators allegedly threw bricks and stones at security personnel. Similar confrontations were reported in Dhaka's Mirpur area.

Workers claimed that scores of protesters had sustained injuries during clashes with police, while witnesses reported stone-pelting and other confrontations involving demonstrators and law enforcement personnel.

𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗱

Authorities have strengthened security arrangements across affected industrial areas, with Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) deploying additional personnel on Tuesday.

The paramilitary force said 12 platoons had been stationed in Gazipur and two in Narayanganj to prevent further violence and protect industrial establishments.

The BGB has also established a monitoring centre at its headquarters and is using drones and body-worn cameras to monitor developments in Dhaka and surrounding areas.

Security personnel have been deployed near factories, major roads and industrial zones where demonstrations have disrupted production and transportation.

𝗪𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀

The government on Sunday constituted a six-member minimum wage board to review garment workers' salaries and recommend a revised wage structure.

However, the board had yet to hold its first meeting as demonstrations continued across the country's industrial centres.

The protests began on Saturday, with workers arguing that a recent salary increase for government employees had further highlighted the disparity between public-sector wages and earnings in the garment industry.

"We pay the same prices for commodities for our living," a workers' leader told a private television channel, questioning why garment workers should receive substantially lower wages despite facing similar living expenses.

Workers maintain that their existing minimum monthly wage of 12,500 taka is inadequate to meet essential household expenditure, particularly with inflation hovering around eight per cent.

𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗿𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

The unrest has raised concerns over Bangladesh's readymade garment industry, which employs approximately four million workers and accounts for more than 80 per cent of the country's export earnings.

Bangladesh is the world's second-largest garment exporter after China, supplying clothing to major international retailers, including H&M, Zara and Gap.

Manufacturers warned that prolonged factory closures during the peak production period for spring and summer collections could delay shipments, weaken overseas buyers' confidence and lead to order cancellations.

The sector is already facing pressure from rising production costs, inflation and intense competition in international markets.

Industry representatives fear that continued disruption could affect export earnings and employment, while workers insist that wage revisions are essential to protect their livelihoods.

Hasina, who fled to India following the student-led uprising that toppled her government on August 5, 2024, was subsequently sentenced to death in absentia by a special tribunal during the interim administration headed by Muhammad Yunus.

The latest unrest has presented Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's government with a major challenge as it seeks to restore industrial stability while addressing workers' demands for higher wages.