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Protests in Bangladesh: Calls to Raise the Minimum Wage

Currently, more than 600 textile factories in and around the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka are closed. Since the weekend, workers have been demanding an increase in the minimum wage to 32,000 taka (about 230 EUR). The reason: the extreme rise in prices for basic foodstuffs. Inflation has consistently exceeded 8.5% over the past three years.

A look back

As early as 2023, massive protests broke out in Bangladesh. At that time, the minimum wage in the textile sector had been raised from 8,000 taka per month to 12,500 taka (100 USD)—an amount far below the demand at the time of 23,000 taka. The police responded to the mass protests with violence and repression. Factory owners used the state as a weapon and brought false charges against the protesting workers. It took two years to win the fight to have the charges dropped.

We call on all brands that source from Bangladesh, among other things, to:

• publicly support the demand for 32,000 taka per month,
• publicly commit to continuing to have products manufactured in Bangladesh even after the new minimum wage increase,
• ensure that their suppliers do not allow the use of force against protesters, refrain from blacklisting or dismissing employees who protest, respect the right to freedom of association, and do not initiate criminal proceedings against protesters.