Some 26.35 per cent of factories under the jurisdiction of the Industrial Police (IP) located in different industrial zones across the country, especially Ashulia, Gazipur, and Narayanganj, are yet to pay the wages for the month of April.
According to the Industrial Police, some 10,238 factories in eight industrial zones - Ashulia, Gazipur, Chattogram, Narayanganj, Mymensingh, Khulna, Cumilla, and Sylhet - are in operation under its jurisdiction, except for the Dhaka Metropolitan City.
Out of them, some 2,698 factories - 751 textile and readymade garment (RMG) units and 1,947 non-RMG ones - did not pay April wages until Saturday, the IP data showed.
The non-payment rate is higher (57.30 per cent) for factories in Narayanganj, followed by 42.93 per cent in Ashulia, 26.62 per cent in Mymensingh, and 22.54 per cent in Gazipur.
Over 22 per cent or 395 factories out of 1,790 listed with the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), 225 units or 31.78 per cent out of 708 registered with the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), and 123 Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) members out of 382 are yet to pay April wages.
Eight factories under the Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) and seven jute mills also did not pay April wages until Saturday, the IP data showed.
Meanwhile, labour leaders at a recent tripartite consultative committee meeting warned that the non-payment of wages ahead of Eid-ul-Adha might create labour unrest in the industrial zones.
Labour Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury on Thursday last directed all factory owners to pay festival allowance by May 21 and make monthly wage payments timely in line with the labour law to avert any untoward situation.
During the meeting, labour leaders also sought the government's intervention against the factory authorities that were yet to pay the dues and monthly wages on time.
Following the factory owners' demand, the government recently released Tk 15 billion in cash incentives - the fourth tranche of export subsidies for the country's 43 export-oriented sectors for the fiscal year of 2025-26.
The cash incentive programme continues to cover key export-oriented sectors, including ready-made garments, frozen shrimp and fish, leather goods, and jute products, ranging from 0.30 per cent to 10 per cent for various categories of exportable goods.
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