02/11/2023 4:43 pm (Act. 02/11/2023 4:43 pm)
Taking into account the mass protests by textile workers in Bangladesh, more than 300 companies in the country are closed for now. According to police on Thursday, there were more than 250 companies in Gazipur and at least 50 “very large factories” in Ashulia, with a total of more than 15,000 employees. At least two people have already died in the sometimes violent protests for higher wages that have been taking place since Monday.
Gazipur and Ashulia are suburbs of the capital Dhaka. In Gazipur, more than 50 businesses have already been looted and damaged, police chief Sarwar Alam told AFP. “Four or five were set on fire.” Neighboring business operators did not want to open under these circumstances. Demonstrations continued in both districts.
In Mirpur, west of Dhaka, around 5,000 protesters took to the streets again on Thursday. They blocked a road and police fired tear gas and rubber bullets, an AFP reporter said.
Dhaka and its suburbs are an important center for the textile industry. Many Western brands, such as H&M, Gap, Adidas and Puma, manufacture clothes there. Wages are very low, the minimum wage in the industry is currently 8,300 taka per month, equivalent to around 70 euros. The union demands an almost three-fold increase to 23,000 taka. The employers’ association offered a 25 percent increase over the weekend.
Bangladesh is one of the largest textile producers in the world; there are around 3,500 factories and workshops in the country. Four million people work in the industry. Textiles represent 85 percent of exports, with a total value of 55 billion dollars (52 billion euros) annually.