40 garment factories shut down indefinitely due to worker unrest in Bangladesh

POBNEWS24, Dhaka, Nov 14, 2026 : Worker unrest has spread again in the ready-made garment industry. In the face of workers’ agitation and strike over various demands, including setting a minimum monthly wage of Tk 30,000, the authorities have declared at least 40 garment factories in Dhaka’s Savar and Ashulia industrial areas closed indefinitely. At the same time, security measures have been strengthened to deal with possible unpleasant situations and prevent deterioration of the law and order situation in the industrial areas.
On Saturday morning, closure notices were put up at the main gates of various factories. Many workers who came to join work returned after seeing the closure notice. Although workers in some factories were present at the workplace, they refused to participate in work. In this situation, a general holiday has been declared in several other factories.
Ashulia Industrial Police-1 Superintendent of Police Mohammad Mominul Islam Bhuiyan said that about 40 factories in the Savar-Ashulia industrial area are closed due to worker dissatisfaction. Some of these factories have been declared closed under Section 13(1) of the Bangladesh Labor Act, 2006. In addition, production activities have been suspended in some factories due to workers’ strike.
One of the demands of the workers is to increase the current minimum monthly wage from Tk 12,500 to Tk 30,000. They also demand payment of arrears, improvement of working conditions, reduction of excessive workload and an end to mistreatment of workers. According to the workers’ representatives, long-standing dissatisfaction and existing problems in various factories are fueling the movement.
Meanwhile, additional police and other law enforcement officers have been deployed at important intersections, factory entrances and potential conflict-prone areas of the industrial area to control the situation. Members of the Industrial Police, District Police, RAB and BGB are engaged in security activities. Surveillance has also been increased to maintain normal traffic on the highway and ensure the safety of factory workers, officials and employees.
Factory authorities claim that it is not possible to carry out normal production activities due to worker dissatisfaction, work stoppages and security risks. There is uncertainty about the resumption of production activities in the closed factories until the situation normalizes.
On the other hand, labor leader Sadeq Ali says that the reason for worker dissatisfaction in all factories is not the same. In certain factories, workers are angry about salary arrears, excessive workload and management behavior. These problems can be resolved through negotiations. He also demanded that no worker be fired under the pretext of the shutdown and that the workers be ensured fair wages.
Experts fear that if such instability continues in the ready-made garment industry, one of the country’s main export earning sectors, production, implementation of export orders and business relations with international buyers may be affected.
In this situation, those concerned have emphasized reaching a quick and effective agreement by giving importance to three issues: the workers’ just demands, the owners’ concerns, and the safety of the industrial area.