Garment workers block a road during a protest calling for higher minimum wages in Dhaka on November 1, 2026. (AFP Photo)
Thousands of Bangladeshi garment workers blocked a major highway and clashed with police on Nov. 1, demanding a monthly minimum wage more than double current pay, as protests spread across industrial hubs.
Bangladesh is the world's second-biggest garment exporter behind China, manufacturing clothes for some of the largest international brands.
Hundreds of workers in Gazipur, north of the capital Dhaka, blocked the Dhaka-Tangail highway, vandalising several vehicles, while large groups took to the streets in the Mirpur district, where police dispersed demonstrators with tear gas, AFP reporters saw.
The protests came despite the government's announcement on Nov. 1 that it would establish a wage board to review the minimum wage in the vital garment industry, which employs millions of people and generates the bulk of Bangladesh's export earnings.
But labor leaders say workers' grievances extend beyond the formation of the board, citing inflation and rising household expenses.
Protesters demand a 30,000-taka monthly pay ($241), which is more than double their current pay.
Workers currently earn about 13,000 taka a month, according to Kalpona Akter of the Bangladesh Center for Workers Solidarity.
