13pc garment workers yet to receive full minimum wage hike: Study

Around 13 per cent of surveyed garment workers have yet to fully receive the last minimum wage adjustment, either getting only a partial increase or none at all, according to a new study.

In 2023, the government set Tk 12,500 as the minimum monthly wage for entry-level garment workers.

“About 87 per cent of the surveyed workers received the full wage increase that was reviewed two years ago,” said Professor Jakir Hossain of the Institute of Bangladesh Studies at the University of Rajshahi.

He added that the remaining 13 per cent of workers—8 per cent received only a partial hike, while 5 per cent did not get their wages adjusted according to the revised grade structure.

Professor Hossain shared these findings while presenting a study titled “Minimum Wage Implementation in Bangladesh’s Readymade Garment Sector: Status of Compliance and Consequences for Workers” at an event held on Sunday at a city hotel.

The survey, conducted between May and June 2025, covered 240 workers from 60 factories across Dhaka, Gazipur, Narayanganj, and Chattogram.

The event was organised by the Awaj Foundation, with support from Mondiaal FNV, and moderated by the foundation’s Executive Director, Nazma Akter.

Professor Hossain noted that the rate of implementation of the enhanced wage was significantly higher in compliant factories and those with active trade unions.

BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan and BKMEA President Mohammad Hatem, among others, attended the programme.

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