Prominent leaders of the anti-fascist student movement in the 1990s issued a statement on Thursday, expressing deep concern about the current situation in the country's garment industry.
The statement highlighted the integral role of the garment sector in Bangladesh's exports but underscored the pitiful state of workers' wages.
The labour unions have long advocated for fair compensation, demanding a minimum wage of Tk25,000 during tripartite wage discussions.
Despite these efforts, the government, disregarding worker pleas, settled on Tk12,500 as per the owners' proposal.
The student movement leaders emphasized that this figure is untenable given the current market conditions and makes it impossible for workers to support their families on such income.
They condemned the use of state force against the workers' just democratic movement, expressing outrage at the unfortunate deaths of some workers during the protests.
They demanded an immediate end of repression and urged the government to re-evaluate both market rates and the wage structures of other nations to fairly determine workers' salaries.
The leaders warned that without meaningful action, worker discontent and demands for higher wages would persist, potentially plunging the entire garment sector into a deeper crisis in the future.
The statement was signed by prominent figures including Nazmul Haque Prodhan, Amirul Haque Amin, Shafi Ahmed, among others.