A research by the non-governmental organization South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (SANEM) showed that garment factory workers in this country earn less than is necessary to meet basic needs including food, shelter and medical care.
In the three months from April to June 2022, he has earned an average of 9,984 taka per month. Their ‘living wage’ or the income required for a fairly standard living at the time, was 19,000 to 26,000 takas depending on the area of residence.
That is, the gap between their actual income and the money required to meet their minimum demand is 51 to 60 per cent.
With wages not increasing in line with inflation, the real minimum wage for Bangladeshi workers has fallen by the highest rate among countries in the region.
The latest International Labor Organization (ILO) report states that Bangladesh has the lowest minimum wage among countries in the Asia-Pacific region.