The government has constituted a six-member minimum wage board to review the salaries of garment workers as demonstrations demanding a monthly minimum wage of Tk 30,000 continued in Dhaka and Gazipur on Sunday.

Labour and Employment Minister Ariful Hoque Choudhury announced the formation of the board and its composition at a press briefing at his office in the Secretariat.

Sheikh Ashfaqur Rahman has been appointed chairman of the board, while Dhaka University professor Mosleh Uddin Ahmed will serve as a member. The permanent representatives of employers and workers are Asif Ayub, joint secretary of the Bangladesh Employers Federation, and Anwar Hossain, president of Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal.

The board will also include two temporary members: ABM Shamsuddin, a director of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), representing factory owners, and Babul Akhter, general secretary of the Bangladesh Garments and Industrial Workers Federation, representing workers.

Calling on garment workers to resume their duties, the minister said the formation of the wage board was an important step towards addressing their demands. He urged the board to submit recommendations for an increased minimum wage without delay.

The minister also accused a vested political group of using labour-related grievances to create unrest in the industrial sector and destabilise the government.

Despite the government’s announcement, thousands of garment workers took to the streets in different areas of Dhaka and Gazipur on Sunday, demanding a minimum monthly salary of Tk 30,000.

In Mirpur, protesters blocked the Mirpur-10 intersection and roads near Purabi Cinema, disrupting traffic and causing significant difficulties for commuters. Workers also staged demonstrations in Mirpur-11 and nearby areas.

Tensions escalated in Mirpur-10 and Mirpur-11, where protesters and law enforcement personnel were involved in chases and counter-chases. Police used sound grenades to disperse the demonstrators.

In Gazipur, workers blocked the Dhaka-Tangail highway, bringing traffic movement to a halt. The situation deteriorated further after a group of protesters reportedly set fire to a police box in the Konabari area of Gazipur Metropolitan City.

Against this backdrop, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel were deployed in Gazipur to help maintain law and order and prevent further escalation of the unrest.