Published : 02 Nov 2026, 01:10 PM
Updated : 02 Nov 2026, 01:10 PM
Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman has alleged that attempts are being made to destroy the garment industry by exploiting workers’ demands for higher wages.
“It appears that conspirators and vested interest groups are trying to incite unrest and destroy the garment industry. The government must take a firm stance on this,” he said.
He made the remarks in a Facebook post on Monday morning.
Garment workers have been protesting in the capital for several days, demanding that the minimum monthly wage be raised to Tk 30,000.
On Sunday, clashes broke out between police and garment workers during a blockade in Dhaka’s Mirpur area. The following day, Monday, workers and police were involved in chases and clashes in Savar’s Ashulia, on the outskirts of Dhaka.
Shafiqur, the opposition leader in parliament, said unrest in the garment sector was continuing, with reports of vandalism and arson attacks on industrial establishments in different areas.
“No owner or worker can establish their rights by destroying industrial establishments. We believe no worker would be involved in such activities,” he said.
Claiming that nearly 600 factories had already been declared closed, he said: “As the winter season approaches, the garment industry usually sees promising prospects. The possibility of a deep-rooted conspiracy to destroy that prospect cannot be ruled out.”
Shafiqur urged all parties, including factory owners and workers, to remain alert.
