IndustriAll Bangladesh Council (IBC), the local chapter of the global labour rights organisation, has urged the government to form a wage board to review the existing wage structure for workers in the country’s readymade garment (RMG) sector.

The IBC made the request in a letter sent to labour minister Ariful Hoque Chowdhury on Tuesday, seeking immediate steps to begin the process of fixing a new minimum wage for garment workers.

The current minimum monthly wage for entry-level RMG workers stands at Tk 12,500, which was announced in December 2023.

Under the Bangladesh Labour Act, 2006, the minimum wage of workers was required to be reviewed every five years. However, the latest amendments to the labour law have reduced the wage revision period to three years.

‘In order to regularly review and update workers’ wages in line with the cost of living, inflation, productivity and the economic reality of the country, the government recently reduced the period from five years to three years through the Bangladesh Labour (Amendment) Act, 2026,’ IBC president Kutub Uddin Ahmed said in the letter.

He said that the three-year wage review period would expire in December 2026, meaning the government now needs to initiate the process to ensure the implementation of a new minimum wage within the timeframe set by law.

‘But it is a matter of great concern that no visible initiative has been taken so far to form a wage board to fix the new minimum wage,’ he said.

The letter said that adequate time would be required to complete the wage review process, including forming the wage board, appointing members, collecting necessary data and information, gathering opinions from stakeholders, holding public hearings, conducting economic assessments and preparing recommendations.

‘If initiatives are not taken now, it will be difficult to announce the new minimum wage within the stipulated time,’ the letter said, which was jointly signed by IBC president Kutub Uddin Ahmed and general secretary Babul Akhter.

The labour rights body said the living costs of garment workers have increased significantly due to rising prices of essential commodities, housing costs, healthcare expenses, education costs and other daily necessities.

Highlighting the RMG sector as the country’s largest export-earning industry and a key pillar of the economy, the IBC requested the government to immediately establish the Wage Board and begin the necessary procedures to revise the minimum wage in line with the amended labour law.

The organisation said ensuring timely and fair wages for workers is crucial for maintaining sustainable production, social stability and Bangladesh’s competitiveness in the international market.