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.
