Who is orchestrating the garment workers' protests?

The ongoing garment workers' movement over wage increases has allegedly been exploited by political groups and business interests, with government intelligence reports pointing to the involvement of several former Awami League ministers, lawmakers and pro-Awami League industrialists.

The workers' demand for higher wages is legitimate, as their current earnings are insufficient to meet rising living costs. The government has responded by forming a new wage board. However, the protests have continued, with demands for a bigger pay rise.

According to intelligence reports, several leaders and activists of the Awami League, whose political activities are banned, along with businesspeople sympathetic to the party, are allegedly attempting to influence the movement. Workers from factories owned by former Awami League ministers and MPs, as well as pro-Awami League garment entrepreneurs, have reportedly been brought into the protests.

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has also said former ministers, state ministers and MPs associated with the banned political organisation are allegedly instigating unrest in the garment sector.

"There is information and evidence available to the government that some industrialists are also involved in this," he said.

Speaking to journalists after a meeting with leaders of two garment industry associations at the Secretariat on Monday, the minister said the government suspected that attempts were being made to deliberately create instability while discussions were under way to form a wage board to determine minimum wages.

He said the industrialists, labour organisations and leaders allegedly involved in the unrest had been identified.

The minister added that the government had asked garment owners to submit a list of factories deliberately kept closed. It also sought the names of suspected labour organisations and leaders allegedly involved in creating unrest.

Photographs and videos circulating on social media and in various media outlets have also shown several leaders and activists of the banned Awami League participating in the protests.

A reliable source claimed that activists of the party's banned student wing, Bangladesh Chhatra League, were using the workers' movement as a cover for their activities. Several Chhatra League activists were detained in connection with the incidents.

BGMEA leaders and labour representatives said a third party had entered the movement after it initially began over demands for higher wages. In some cases, workers were allegedly being forced to take to the streets.

They urged workers to return to their workplaces peacefully to prevent other groups from exploiting their legitimate demands for political gains.

Names included in intelligence reports

A report prepared by a government intelligence agency, obtained by a Bengali daily, named nearly a dozen Awami League leaders and businesspeople allegedly linked to the unrest.

The report listed factories owned by several former ministers and lawmakers, some of whom are reportedly absconding while others are in custody. According to the report, those outside the country or in hiding were allegedly issuing instructions over the phone, while senior officials at factories owned by those in custody were reportedly encouraging workers to join the protests.

Those named in the report include Beximco Group, associated with Salman F Rahman, former private industry and investment adviser to then prime minister Sheikh Hasina; Sepal Group, associated with former commerce minister Tipu Munshi; Envoy Group, associated with former MP Abdus Salam Murshedy; Renaissance Group's Interstoff Apparels, associated with former state minister for foreign affairs Shahriar Alam; Hamid Group's Hamid Sweaters Ltd, associated with former state minister for power and energy Nasrul Hamid Bipu; and Fabian Group's Fabian Garments Ltd, associated with former local government minister Tazul Islam.

The report also named several businesspeople allegedly sympathetic to the Awami League, including Tusuka Group Managing Director Foyzur Rahman Badal, Well Group's Abdus Salam, Nipa Group Chairman Mohammad Khasru Chowdhury, former Manikganj-2 MP and Axis Knitwears Limited owner Zahid Ahmed Tulu, and Givenchy Group's Masuma Khatun Lipa.