The newly formed six-member Readymade Garment (RMG) Minimum Wage Board held its inaugural meeting today, Wednesday, November 4, 2026, amid mounting labor unrest, demands for higher wages, and widespread factory disruptions across the country. The board was officially announced on November 1 by Labor and Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury to address the longstanding salary grievances of apparel workers.
Currently, RMG workers receive a minimum monthly wage of ৳12,500, whereas labor unions and worker representatives are demanding an increase to ৳30,000 per month to cope with soaring inflation, rising house rents, transportation costs, and daily commodity prices. However, factory owners and the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) face severe margin pressures and international export competition.
Read nextRadhika Apte Opens Up About Bitter Experience Working in South Indian Cinema, Citing Uncomfortable Script and Age Gap With Co-StarThe urgency for today's meeting was underscored by recent widespread protests, road blockades, and clashes across industrial hubs in Dhaka, Mirpur, Savar, Ashulia, and Gazipur. BGMEA data from November 1 indicated that unrest disrupted production across 529 factories, with nearly 9.878 million workers walking off the job. BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan urged workers to cease protests and vandalism to keep factories operational, while stakeholders closely watched today's session for concrete timelines regarding the new wage structure, which is being discussed for implementation starting December 1 under amended labor laws.
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Reported by Staff Reporter • Edited by the Daily Best News desk. Send corrections to [email protected].
