Labour Minister urges workers to return to work without falling for unnecessary provocation

National

Staff Reporter

Published: Wednesday, 04 November 2026

Minister of Labour and Employment Ariful Haque Choudhury has urged garment workers to return to work without paying heed to unnecessary provocation. He said, ‘If factories survive, income will increase, employment will be created and wages will rise.’ He said this after a tripartite meeting of the government, workers and employers at the Ministry of Labour today, Wednesday (4 November).

The minister said that a proposal for the wage structure will be prepared by December and it will be implemented in January. On behalf of the Prime Minister, financial assistance of Tk 1 lakh has initially been provided to the family of the worker killed in Gazipur during the labour movement, and instructions have been given to bring those involved under the law. In addition, the Prime Minister has approved the construction of a 100-bed specialised hospital for working people in Tongi. The minister also instructed that if innocent workers have been arrested during the movement, they should be released, and warned of strict action against miscreants.

At the meeting, Prime Minister's Adviser Mahdi Amin said the government is very sincere about the garment sector. Worker representatives thanked the government for forming the wage board quickly and called on workers to return to work. Among others, MP Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas, Labour Secretary Abdur Rahman Tarafdar, and top leaders of workers and employers were present at the press conference.