According to foreign reports, Bangladeshi textile workers have held multiple protests and demonstrations in recent days, demanding increased wages. Demonstrators have clashed with the police many times. The latest wave of clashes occurred on the night of June 29 and 30, resulting in 30 injuries, including 10 police officers.
According to reports, in the Mirpur and Shelapara regions of Bangladesh, as several factories were closed, the opposition party mobilized textile workers to launch demonstrations and protests. Demonstrators set up roadblocks on the streets and threw stones at the police who came to maintain order. The police used batons, tear gas and water cannons to disperse the demonstrators, and fierce clashes broke out between the two sides.
The clashes resulted in at least 30 injuries, 10 of which were police officers.
The main purpose of the textile workers’ demonstration was to demand an increase in the minimum wage to 5,000 taka (approximately US$73) per month. At present, their minimum wage is 1,660 taka (approximately US$23) per month. The protesting workers said, “We work for them, they make money from business, but they do not pay us.” The report pointed out that most of these workers make clothes for international brands.
Last week, textile factory owners said that even if the salary is increased, it will not exceed the standard of 3,000 taka per month.
Industrial statistics show that 80% of Bangladesh’s annual export revenue of US$15 billion comes from the textile industry.
