Workers continued their protests, rejecting the government’s announcement of a 56 percent wage increase Tuesday….reports Asian Lite News
A total of 130 readymade garment factories on outskirts of Bangladesh capital Dhaka have suspended operations for an indefinite period due to ongoing worker protests for higher wages.
Mohammad Sarwar Alam, a superintendent of Industrial Police, told journalists Saturday that a section of workers has still been demanding a minimum monthly wage of 23,000 taka (209 U.S. dollars), Xinhua news agency reported.
Workers continued their protests, rejecting the government’s announcement of a 56 percent wage increase Tuesday.
The protests have reportedly led to vandalism of cars and factories, with clashes between police and workers erupting in and around Dhaka.
A female garment worker was killed in a clash between police and workers demonstrating for a pay hike in Gazipur’s Konabari area on the outskirts of Dhaka on Wednesday.
Paramilitary Border Guard Bangladesh soldiers have been deployed in major industrial zones in and around Dhaka.
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Political row
Recently, a cover story on Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in a recent edition of the Time magazine, titled ‘Hard Power: Sheikh Hasina and the Fate of Democracy in Bangladesh’, has drawn frowns from many back home.
The cover feature, authored by Charlie Campbell, wasn’t received too well by netizens, leaders of the ruling Awami League and activists, and those who hold Prime Minister Hasina in high regard.
However, it appears that many readers may not have delved deeply into the content of the article, which presents a multifaceted view of Sheikh Hasina’s tenure, according to the Bangladesh-based Daily Asian Age.
Throughout her tenure in office since 2009, Hasina has faced numerous challenges, including the BDR mutiny, the economic recovery post-Covid, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
While not highlighting her achievements as the country’s premier, the cover feature in Time magazine raised concerns over the elections of 2014 and 2018.
“Bangladesh has taken an authoritarian turn under Hasina’s Awami League party. The last two elections were condemned by the US, EU and others for significant irregularities, including stuffed ballot boxes and thousands of phantom voters. She won 84% and 82% of the vote, respectively,” the cover story read.