Wage protests disrupt 529 Bangladesh garment factories as government forms pay board

Labour unrest disrupted operations at 529 garment factories in Bangladesh on 1 November 2026, with 987,190 workers leaving their workplaces, according to a situation report from the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).

The disruption affected factories across Dhaka, Gazipur, Mymensingh and Savar-Ashulia as workers demanded a minimum monthly wage of Tk30,000, an end to blacklisting and the reinstatement of dismissed employees. The government formed a six-member wage board the same day, but protests continued in several industrial areas.

Gazipur and Mymensingh accounted for the largest share of the disruption. Workers left 276 factories employing 645,360 people, out of 836 factories covered by BGMEA’s report in those areas.

In Savar, Ashulia and Jirani, operations were affected at 185 factories involving 290,205 workers. The association’s reporting covered 441 factories in that cluster.

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