The Department of Labour will seek nominations from garment factory owners and workers today.
15 October, 2026, 01:20 am
Last modified: 15 October, 2026, 01:28 am
The government is moving to form a new minimum wage board for the garment sector, with letters seeking nominations from factory owners and workers scheduled to be sent today (15 October) – a day after workers in the capital's Uttara area protested demanding a monthly minimum wage of Tk30,000.
At a meeting of senior officials of the Ministry of Labour and Employment last night (14 October), it was decided that letters would be sent seeking nominations from factory owners and workers for the formation of the board, according to ministry sources.
Abdur Rahman Tarafder, secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, told The Business Standard that the letters would ask factory owners and workers to send their nominees' names as soon as possible.
"Workers have taken to the streets. So, we held a meeting and decided to send letters seeking the names of representatives of garment factory owners and workers for the formation of the wage board," he said.
Asked whether the board could be formed by next week, Tarafder did not specify a timeline, saying, "Once we receive the lists of nominees, we will form the board quickly."
Yesterday, workers from several garment factories in Uttara took to the streets demanding a monthly minimum wage of Tk30,000. The protest brought traffic to a standstill, causing lengthy congestion and severe public suffering.
Labour leaders welcomed the latest move but said the initiative should have been taken earlier.
Towhidur Rahman, president of the Bangladesh Garment Labour Unity Council, told TBS, "December is approaching, yet the wage board has not been formed. However, it is a welcome move that the government has taken the initiative to form the board."
The wage board comprises six members: four permanent members and two temporary members. The temporary members represent the sector for which the board is formed and play a key role in wage negotiations.
Under Bangladesh's Labour Act, a wage board is supposed to be formed every five years. However, an amendment to the labour law last year provided for a review of wages every three years.
Three years since the last wage increase will have passed by December this year. Labour leaders say the wage board needs to be formed well in advance to allow enough time to set the new wages by then.
The current minimum monthly wage for garment workers in Bangladesh is Tk12,500.
The government announced a new pay scale for government employees last month, under which their total monthly pay would exceed Tk33,000 once the new structure is fully implemented. Against this backdrop, demands for wage increases have also been gaining momentum in other sectors.