Twenty-nine garment factories closed in Bangladesh’s Gazipur area over Saturday night and Sunday morning, November 14–15, 2026, police told the BBC, as workers pressed for higher wages. The shutdowns came ahead of a minimum wage board meeting scheduled for Monday, November 16. Source Source
Workers want the garment sector’s monthly minimum raised from 12,500 taka to 30,000 taka. They say their pay hasn’t kept pace with food, housing, transport and healthcare costs, according to PTI’s report in Telegraph India. Source
Factory owners warned on Saturday that plants where workers refused to resume production would close indefinitely without pay. Workers seeking higher pay face the threat of going without wages during a shutdown. Source
Closure counts differ
PTI’s report in The Economic Times gave a different breakdown: police and owners said 13 factories in Gazipur and nearby Ashulia shut indefinitely on Sunday and five declared one-day holidays. Owners put the industrial zone’s total at 50 closed units, including those 13. Neither report gives a factory-by-factory list showing how the tallies overlap. Officials said most factories in Gazipur’s industrial belt continued production. Source Source
Police used tear gas and sound grenades to disperse workers in Gazipur’s Konabari area on Sunday morning, PTI reported. Workers later took to the streets in neighbouring Mouchak, prompting further factory closures. Source
The wage-board timetable
The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, or BGMEA, said its representatives would submit their proposal at Monday’s wage-board meeting. It also warned that participation in later meetings would depend on conditions on the ground. Source
The government formed the board on November 1. It aims to finish its recommendations by the end of November, with a revised pay structure expected to take effect on December 1. Source Source
Bangladesh’s garment industry employs about four million people and supplies brands including H&M, Primark and Zara, according to the BBC. Factory owners warned that prolonged disruption could delay shipments and lead to order cancellations. Source Source
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