Last Updated on November 13, 2026 7:00 pm by INDIAN AWAAZ
Zakir Hossain, Dhaka
Bangladesh’s crucial ready-made garment industry is heading toward a major crisis, with manufacturers considering the indefinite closure of 210 factories across the Ashulia, Jamgora and Hemayetpur industrial zones amid escalating worker unrest over wage demands. The proposed shutdown, one of the largest responses to labour agitation in recent years, underscores growing tensions between workers seeking higher pay and factory owners warning of severe disruptions to production and export commitments.
Industry representatives agreed in principle to the shutdown at an emergency meeting on Wednesday, with a final decision expected Saturday. “The final decision will be announced at Saturday’s meeting,” Sparrow Group managing director Shovon Islam said.
Production was suspended at 143 factories on Wednesday as employees refused to work or walked out after marking attendance. Seven factories had already shut indefinitely under Bangladesh’s labour law, which permits closures during work stoppages.
On Thursday, protesters blocked the Dhaka-Tangail highway in Gazipur before police and border guards dispersed them using sound grenades.
Workers’ representatives have proposed a minimum monthly wage of Tk32,000 to a government-appointed wage board. Employers are expected to submit their counterproposal Monday.
Bangladesh’s garment exporters warn that prolonged disruption could delay overseas shipments, trigger cancelled orders and threaten livelihoods across an industry employing hundreds of thousands in the affected belt.