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Labour Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury at the dialogue in Gazipur
The government will initiate the formation of a new Minimum Wage Board within the next week, announced Minister for Labour and Employment, and Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, Ariful Haque Choudhury. The minister stated that the list of representatives from factory owners has already been received, and upon obtaining the proposed list from worker representatives, the official gazette will be published following due legal procedures. He made these remarks while speaking to reporters on Wednesday (October 28) at the Bhawal Conference Room in the Gazipur Deputy Commissioner's Office, where he attended a stakeholder dialogue on "Overall Labour Situation in Industrial Belts and Safe Migration."
Addressing the ongoing labour unrest and payment backlogs in the manufacturing sector, the minister directed factory managements with outstanding dues to clear all pending wages immediately. Delivering a direct message to leaders of the two apex garment trade bodies—the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA)—he asserted that workers' monthly salaries must be disbursed by the 7th of each month under all circumstances. Regarding demonstrations over the minimum wage board, Choudhury noted that formal steps are actively underway, leaving no justification for continued agitation on the issue.
The minister also sounded a stern warning against attempts to foment instability across industrial belts, cautioning that vested quarters are attempting to disrupt peace and embarrass the government to serve political motives. He emphasized that if any third party bypasses dialogue and attempts to destabilize the country or advance harmful agendas, neither the government, nor factory owners, nor genuine labour representatives will tolerate it, urging all stakeholders to remain vigilant.
