Days after violent protests over wages as low as $80 a month, officials in Bangladesh said on Wednesday they would increase the pay of garment workers by about 50 percent, a concession that appeared to fall short of satisfying thousands of workers who produce clothes for brands like H&M and Zara. Over the weekend, at least two garment factory workers were killed and several police officers wounded in Gazipur District, north of Dhaka, as protesters ratcheted up their longstanding demand for higher wages. The garment industry accounts for more than 80 percent of Bangladesh’s annual exports of about $55 billion, and it is seen as the key driver of Bangladesh’s economic growth in recent decades. More than 50 percent of employees in the industry are women, in a region with abysmal female participation in the formal work force. They are calling for an increase to about $200 a month to meet the rising cost of living.

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Persons: Covid lockdowns Locations: Bangladesh, Zara, Gazipur District, Dhaka