Bangladeshi police intervened in the capital Dhaka on Monday to disperse thousands of textile workers who have been demonstrating for several days to obtain a doubling of their minimum wage. Bangladesh’s textile sector, the world’s second-largest clothing exporter, constitutes the backbone of its economy: it employs millions of people and generates the bulk of the country’s foreign exchange earnings.
Since last week, its workers have been mobilized, particularly in the capital’s factories, to obtain an increase in their remuneration, against a backdrop of high inflation – more than 8% at an annual rate in September – and the global energy crisis. On Sunday, the government set up a committee responsible for renegotiating their salaries.
On Monday, hundreds of angry workers blocked the Dhaka-Tangail highway, burning several vehicles. Others marched in the Mirpur district, north of the capital, where police dispersed them with tear gas, AFP journalists noted.
Clothing sold in Europe and the United States
On Sunday, Interior Minister Salahuddin Ahmed told the press that his mission was “to ensure that production and exports continue” and ordered the police to “repress acts of violence”. The average salary of textile workers is currently estimated at 13,000 takas (87 €) per month, according to Kalpona Akhter, of the Bangladesh Center for Solidarity with Workers.
“This time, we are asking for a little more than 30,000 takas,” he told AFP. Thousands of factories across Bangladesh produce clothing, including T-shirts, jeans and sweaters, for major retailers in Europe and the United States.
