Government Fails to Conceal Abuse of Garment Workers as International Rights Groups Raise Concerns Over Police Brutality and Politicisation

Kerry Kennedy, president of the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Foundation, shared Al Jazeera’s report and called on the government to ensure the right to peaceful protest.

Special Correspondent. Dhaka, November 6, 2026.

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Human Rights Watch is concerned about police baton charges, tear gas, and repression during the garment workers’ protest;

Questions about the labor rights situation in Bangladesh in the international community. Kerry Kennedy calls on the government to ensure the right to peaceful protest by sharing Al Jazeera’s report.

Despite the government’s efforts, the police’s use of force, baton charges and tear gas to suppress the ongoing movement demanding fair wages for garment workers in Bangladesh has not escaped the attention of international human rights organizations. The international human rights organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) has now expressed direct concern about the violence and the role of law enforcement in the labor movement. At the same time, discussions have also begun at the international level on the rights of Bangladeshi workers to fair wages and peaceful protest.

In a report titled ‘Bangladesh Labor Protests Turn Violent’ published on November 5, HRW said that Bangladesh police used batons and tear gas to disperse thousands of garment workers protesting for higher wages. The report also cited attacks on workers, arson, factory vandalism and attacks on police by individuals allegedly affiliated with factory owners and political parties.

The report, written by HRW’s deputy Asia director Meenakshi Ganguly, calls on the Bangladesh government to follow international human rights standards, saying police should only use force that is necessary and proportionate and that those responsible for violence must be held accountable.

 

Details of Tawfiq’s death and the attack on workers

HRW also highlighted the death of garment worker Toufiq Hossain, who was killed on November 3. The organization, citing a colleague who was with Toufiq, said that on his way back to the factory after lunch, Toufiq fell between protesting workers and riot police from another factory. The colleague later looked back and saw Toufiq lying on the ground. According to him, the hired men had brutally beaten Toufiq.

The report of the international human rights organization also highlighted the participation and attacks of factory owners in the workers’ movement.

 

Workers say they can’t survive on 12,500 taka

According to the HRW report, garment workers are demanding an increase in the monthly minimum wage from the current 12,500 taka to 30,000 taka. They allege that the current wage set in 2023 will not be able to meet the rising cost of living.

The report highlights the statement of a 31-year-old female sewing machine operator. She said that her monthly salary is 13,500 taka. However, the rent is 6,000 taka and the cost of cooking gas is 2,300 taka. She is also unable to bear the education expenses of her children.

Highlighting this reality, HRW said that instead of addressing the workers’ demands for a living wage, the authorities are accusing the political opposition of fueling the movement.

 

Questions also arise about the tendency to portray the movement as a political conspiracy.

The HRW report also highlighted the government’s position of politically interpreting the movement and the arrest of labor leaders.

The organization said that on November 3, Dhaka police announced the arrest of 33 supporters of the former ruling party Awami League on charges of sabotage. On the other hand, members of the BNP youth organization are also accused of participating in the procession against the protesting workers.

The report also mentions the arrest of three labor leaders in Ashulia on charges of incitement on the same day. The organization also highlights the filing of cases against thousands of unidentified individuals under the Anti-Terrorism Act.

HRW quoted the wife of a detained worker as saying that her husband had participated in the protests for a short time and was not involved in any violence. He was still taken away.

 

Kerry Kennedy also voices concern about labor rights in Bangladesh

International concern about the labor movement in Bangladesh is not limited to HRW. Human rights activist and Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights President Kerry Kennedy has also spoken out on social media about the issue.

On November 4, he shared Al Jazeera’s report on the garment workers’ movement in Bangladesh on his X (former Twitter) account, writing:

“Bangladesh is the world’s second-biggest garment exporter – but its monthly minimum wage for garment workers is barely equal to $100.”

Highlighting the fact that Bangladesh is the world’s second largest garment exporter, the monthly minimum wage for garment workers here is only around $100, he said, “Every person has the right to a fair wage and a safe working environment. Everyone also has the right to peacefully protest if these conditions are not met.”

Kerry Kennedy further wrote, “Such a situation demonstrates a government’s values ​​and its commitment to its citizens. The right of the people of Bangladesh to peacefully protest must be respected and ensured.”

His statement has added a new dimension to the international human rights discussion surrounding the labor movement in Bangladesh.

 

HRW’s message to the government: The culture of impunity must end

In the final part of the report, HRW calls not only on the Bangladesh government, but also on international clothing brands to be responsible.

According to the organization, contracts between global apparel brands and local suppliers should not be such that they encourage workplace abuse or make it impossible to pay workers a living wage.

HRW said Bangladeshi authorities must end the cycle of violence and impunity that has developed around wage negotiations.

It is worth noting that in the wake of the workers’ movement, the government formed a new wage board on November 1. On November 4, the board agreed to implement the new wage structure from December, but the amount of wage increase has not yet been determined.

The garment industry in Bangladesh is one of the country’s major foreign exchange earners. About 4 million workers work in this industry. As a result, ensuring fair wages, safe working conditions, and the right to peaceful protest for workers is not only in the interests of the workers; it is also directly related to the country’s economy and the image of Bangladesh in the international market.

Despite the government’s claims that the movement is politically motivated or sabotaged, incidents of violence, attacks and deaths on workers have come to the attention of international human rights observers. HRW’s latest report and Kerry Kennedy’s statement make it clear that international monitoring of workers’ rights in Bangladesh continues. While it is possible to hide an incident within the country, it is not easy to avoid the question of accountability on the international stage.