Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has said the recent unrest in the garment sector is not a genuine labour movement but planned political violence aimed at destabilising the country by using ordinary workers.
He made the remarks while briefing journalists after an inter-ministerial meeting on the draft Cyber Security (Amendment) Act, 2026 at the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology at the Bangladesh Secretariat on Wednesday afternoon.
The minister said garment workers had no outstanding demands, but certain groups were conspiring to create instability in the industrial sector.
He alleged that outsiders and non-workers, rather than ordinary workers, were carrying out attacks, arson and vandalism in the name of labour protests.
Citing investigations, he alleged that several garment owners, former MPs, ministers and state ministers who served under the previous Awami League government had direct political agendas and roles in the unrest. He also accused mafia and reactionary groups of attempting to implement conspiracies directed from a neighbouring country to destabilise Bangladesh.
The government had instructed law enforcement agencies to deal firmly with what he described as anti-state violence, he added.
Salahuddin said the garment workers’ main demand had been the formation of a wage board every three years to set a new minimum wage. The government had initiated the process well in advance, but the formation of the board was slightly delayed as the workers took some time to nominate its representative.
The board was formed immediately after receiving the nomination and has already held its first meeting successfully, he said.
Led by an official holding the rank of senior district judge, the board includes representatives of both employers and workers. It is working towards implementing a new wage structure from December 1, 2026, taking inflation, the economic situation and the cost of living into account.
The minister said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman was strongly committed to workers’ welfare and the interests of the industrial sector, and had instructed the government to prioritise improvements in workers’ living standards and overall well-being.
The government’s main objectives were to increase exports, achieve economic prosperity and create new jobs, he added.
Salahuddin said the government had recently held lengthy and productive meetings with garment owners and detailed discussions with labour leaders. Both sides had acknowledged that the destructive activities were not part of any genuine workers’ movement, but that workers were being used as a shield to serve political interests, he claimed.
On the role of law enforcement agencies, the minister said the government was handling the situation patiently and had instructed officers not to use excessive force under any circumstances.
He said many law enforcement personnel had been seriously injured and were receiving treatment in hospitals, yet they had shown restraint and refrained from using force against workers.
However, he warned that mafia and criminal networks would not be spared.
Urging workers not to be misled by provocations or rumours, the minister called on them to return to their workplaces immediately, saying this would keep industrial production running and protect both their jobs and the national economy.
