The government has appointed Syed Azad Subhani, a judge of the Child Violence Prevention Tribunal in Pirojpur, as the new chairman of the Minimum Wage Board in Dhaka, replacing Sheikh Ashfakur Rahman.

The Law and Justice Division of the Ministry of Law issued a notification on Wednesday confirming the appointment. The order was made in the public interest by presidential authority and in consultation with the Supreme Court, according to the notification.

Sheikh Ashfakur Rahman, the outgoing chairman of the Minimum Wage Board, has been transferred to the post of Director (Training) at the Judicial Administration Training Institute in Dhaka. He has been instructed to hand over his current responsibilities immediately and join his new workplace.

The leadership change comes as the newly formed wage board begins discussions on revising minimum wages in the garment sector amid widespread labour unrest.

At its first meeting on Wednesday, representatives of garment factory owners agreed with the workers’ demand to implement a new wage structure in December. The meeting was held at 11am at the Minimum Wage Board office in Segunbagicha, Dhaka.

After the meeting, Babul Akhtar, the workers’ representative on the board, told journalists that the new wage structure would be implemented in December, with workers receiving their revised salaries from January.

He said ABM Shamsuddin, the representative of garment factory owners, had also agreed to the proposed timeline.

Akhtar urged workers to return to their workplaces.

Garment workers have been demonstrating for several days in Dhaka and surrounding industrial areas, demanding a minimum monthly wage of Tk 30,000. Protests have been reported in Ashulia, Kaliyakair in Gazipur, Fatullah in Narayanganj and different parts of the capital.

Although the government announced the formation of a wage board to determine a revised pay structure, unrest has continued in several industrial zones. Clashes between workers and law enforcement agencies have taken place repeatedly. Authorities have also declared holidays at numerous garment factories due to security concerns.

The government formed a six-member Minimum Wage Board on Sunday to revise wages in the readymade garment sector. Labour and Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury announced the formation at a press conference at the Secretariat and urged workers to leave the streets and return to work.

Before announcing the board, the minister held discussions with labour leaders on Friday and representatives of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) on Saturday.

The original board was headed by Senior District and Sessions Judge Sheikh Ashfakur Rahman. Its other members included BGMEA Director ABM Shamsuddin as the owners’ representative; Babul Akhtar, general secretary of the Bangladesh Garments and Industrial Workers Federation (BGIWF), as the workers’ representative; Asif Ayub, joint secretary-general of the Bangladesh Employers’ Federation; and two independent members, Mosleh Uddin Ahmed and Anwar Hossain.

With Wednesday’s appointment, Syed Azad Subhani takes over as chairman.

The wage board is responsible for recommending minimum wages across all grades of garment-sector employment. Based on its recommendations, the government will announce the revised wage structure and publish it in an official gazette.

The previous minimum monthly wage for garment workers was set at Tk 12,500 in December 2023 and came into effect the following month.

Minimum wages in the garment sector were traditionally reviewed every five years. However, an amendment to the Labour Act passed by Parliament on April 10 reduced the review interval from five years to three. Under the revised provision, a new minimum wage board was expected to be announced in November.