Pulling on the Threads

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One person was shot dead and at least 20 others were injured in violent clashes between protesting garment workers and police in Bangladesh on Monday, rocking the country just a few months after its longtime autocratic leader was deposed in a revolution, Reuters reported.

The violence erupted when protestors blocked a major highway on the outskirts of the capital Dhaka, demanding higher wages and improved working conditions in clothing factories, hurling bricks at law enforcement officers and their vehicles.

The widespread protests, which have been going on for weeks, have led to the closures of dozens of factories in one of the world’s largest clothing production hubs.

Bangladesh is the world’s third-largest clothing exporter, behind China and the European Union, with its factories producing clothing for top European brands such as Zara and H&M. More than 80 percent of the country’s export earnings are produced in the garment industry, Reuters noted.

The protests of factory workers in recent weeks, along with recent floods and political turmoil, have resulted in a backlog of production.

Garment industry leaders, worried that brands will move their production elsewhere, have addressed most of the protestors’ demands and called on the government to increase security measures to continue operations.

The interim government, meanwhile, has formed a committee to address the demonstrators’ concerns while labor leaders have urged for factory-based talks to calm the unrest.

This is not the first time garment workers in Bangladesh have tried to secure a pay hike or better working conditions. Four garment workers died in protests against the low national minimum wage last fall, according to Amnesty International.

“Most garment workers are still fighting for decent wages in an industry that brings the most revenue to Bangladesh and paying a heavy price for fighting for their rights,” said Nadia Rahman, Amnesty’s South Asia regional director.

Amnesty added that unlawful force has been used by police against protesting garment workers.

The current unrest comes at a time when an interim government, led by Muhammad Yunus, has taken over the country after massive student-led protests forced longtime autocratic leader, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, to flee the country. More than 1,000 people died in the protests, reported NBC.

The interim government has been tasked with maintaining stability and organizing parliamentary elections.