Hundreds of garment workers continued protests in different parts of Gazipur on Monday, a day after the government formed a wage board to review their minimum pay structure, as they pressed for a monthly minimum wage of Tk 30,000.
Gazipur Deputy Commissioner Md Nurul Karim Bhuiyan said workers from several factories in the Palli Bidyut and Mouchak areas blocked the Dhaka-Tangail highway, bringing traffic to a halt.
After several rounds of confrontation between the protesters and law enforcement agencies the protesters were dispersed and traffic resumed around 10am, he said.
Meanwhile, workers from factories in the Naljani and Lakshmipura areas of Gazipur city also took to the streets in the morning and staged demonstrations on the highway.
Members of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have been deployed alongside police and other law enforcement agencies to maintain order.
The deputy commissioner said 10 platoons of BGB personnel had been deployed in the industrial areas of Gazipur.
The BGB personnel are working under the supervision of 21 executive magistrates to bring the situation under control.
He said law enforcement agencies remained on high alert to prevent damage to public property and ensure the safety of people and their belongings.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Sunday directed the authorities concerned to protect garment workers’ interests and ensure uninterrupted production and export activities in the apparel sector.
The PM also warned that those involved in violence, sabotage and attempts to create disorder in the name of workers’ movement will be dealt with strictly.
The government formed a six-member wage board to review the minimum wage structure for garment workers amid protests across industrial areas, including Dhaka and Gazipur, demanding a minimum monthly wage of Tk 30,000.
Labour and Employment Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury announced the formation of the board at a press briefing at his ministry on Sunday and urged the protesting workers to return to work instead of taking to the streets.
The ministry also issued separate gazette notifications on the formation of the minimum wage board for garment workers on Sunday.
The board has been constituted under Section 138 of the Bangladesh Labour Act, 2006 (amended in 2026), with the mandate to determine the minimum wage for workers in the garment industry under Section 139 of the law.
Senior District and Sessions Judge Sheikh Ashfakur Rahman has been appointed chairman of the board.
The formation of the wage board comes as garment workers have been staging demonstrations and blocking roads in different industrial areas.
On Sunday, workers blocked the Mirpur-10 intersection in Dhaka and several points of the Dhaka-Tangail Highway in Gazipur, disrupting traffic.
Clashes between workers and police in Gazipur also prompted authorities to close most factories in the affected areas.