Bangladesh clears charges against 48,000 garment workers amid calls for reform

Bangladesh’s interim government has withdrawn criminal charges against more than 48,000 garment workers, a sweeping decision that workers’ rights groups have hailed as a landmark moment for the country’s embattled apparel industry. The cases, many filed during wage protests in late 2023 that turned violent, had long been criticised as tools of intimidation by factory owners and police seeking to suppress demands for higher pay.

The ready-made garment (RMG) sector, which employs over four million people and accounts for roughly 85 per cent of Bangladesh’s exports according to the World Bank, has been under intense scrutiny since those protests erupted on the outskirts of Dhaka. The demonstrations, sparked by inflation and stagnant wages, left four people dead and dozens injured, and forced hundreds of factories supplying global brands such as H&M, Zara, Gap and Levi’s to temporarily close.

At the time, workers had demanded the national minimum wage be raised from BDT 8,000 (75 dollars) to BDT 23,000 (215 dollars) per month, arguing that rising living costs had made the existing rate untenable. Following weeks of unrest, the government approved a new minimum of BDT 12,500 (114 dollars), an increase that unions described as “a step forward, but not a living wage.”

Two years on, the mass withdrawal of cases is being described as a rare gesture of reconciliation between the state, factory owners and labour advocates. “This is a massive victory for workers in Bangladesh, for trade unions anywhere in the world, and for international solidarity,” said Kalpona Akter, a leading trade unionist and executive director of the Bangladesh Centre for Worker Solidarity.

Factory backlash and brand complicity

Human rights groups estimate that while about 130 workers were initially arrested, factory owners later filed mass criminal cases implicating tens of thousands of their employees, often without evidence. The Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC), Worker Rights Consortium and Solidarity Center say they identified more than 40 international brands linked to suppliers accused of lodging such cases, with charges ranging from vandalism to murder. In a statement, the CCC said, “Worker intimidation has a chilling effect on any form of organising in the sector. Despite repeated warnings from trade unions and NGOs, international brands did nothing to support workers’ demands or protect them from severe repression.”

The decision to clear the backlog comes amid a broader reset within Bangladesh’s garment industry, which has faced pressure from both the EU’s Green Deal legislation and the upcoming Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) to demonstrate better labour and environmental compliance.

For global fashion executives, the episode is a stark reminder of the fragility of ethical sourcing commitments when economic interests collide with workers’ rights. Bangladesh remains the world’s second-largest garment exporter, after China, and the sector’s success has been built on low-cost labour. Yet, as brands face increasing scrutiny from regulators and consumers, the balance between affordability and accountability is narrowing.

The dropping of charges may ease tensions in the short term, but the deeper question — whether Bangladesh’s apparel economy can evolve beyond its dependence on cheap labour — remains unresolved. For many within the fashion industry, it is a moment to reflect not just on compliance, but on conscience.