Officials said most of the 200,000 employees at the plants in the Ashulia industrial zone had reported for work after owners pledged to raise wages soon. Witnesses said police and security guards were out in force in the district.

Protesters had demanded a rise in their monthly wages of 1,660, equivalent to $24, to a new minimum wage of 5,000 taka.

New wage levels, to be set at talks between workers and the government, would likely take effect from next month, said Abdus Salam Murshedy, president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).

The association, which represents more than 4,500 factories employing 3.5 million workers — most of them women — said it could offer no more than 3,000 taka a month. Workers said they last received a pay rise in 2006.

Murshedy said the government had assured plant owners it would ensure security in the area.

At least 100 people were injured in clashes pitting thousands of workers against security men at Ashulia, one of the country's major textile manufacturing areas on the outskirts of Dhaka.

Among the plants closed were factories that produce and supply goods for global brands such as Marks & Spencer, JC Penney, Kohl's, Wal-Mart, H&M, Zara and Carrefour.

Garments, Bangladesh's biggest export, account for more than 80 percent of annual export earnings of $15 billion, according to Commerce Ministry data.