A Bangladeshi woman was fatally shot during a protest by garment workers after the rejection of a government wage increase offer. The victim, 23-year-old Anjuara Khatun, was a sewing machine operator and the mother of two. The shooting occurred during a demonstration in Gazipur, with additional reports of injuries to other workers.
Unrest continued with thousands of workers rejecting the wage increase and blocking a highway. Violence broke out, resulting in injuries to several police officers, and multiple factories were torched. The Bangladeshi garment industry supplies many Western brands, but the majority of the four million workers, mostly women, are living in dire conditions with a monthly pay as low as 8,300 taka.
The government-appointed panel raised the wages by 56.25%, but the striking workers are demanding a nearly three-fold increase. The United States condemned the violence against protesting workers, and the UN rights chief urged the Prime Minister to release the main opposition leader for urgent medical treatment.