Govt directs factories to pay February wages within this week, bonus by 12 March
Labour minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury announced the decisions after a meeting of the Tripartite Consultative Committee (TCC) held at CIRDAP in the capital's Topkhana Road today (3 March)
The labour ministry has instructed all factory owners to pay wages for the month of February within the first seven working days of March and to pay festival bonuses by 12 March.
Labour minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury announced the decisions after a meeting of the Tripartite Consultative Committee (TCC) held at CIRDAP in the capital's Topkhana Road today (3 March).
According to meeting sources, the Ministry of Labour and Employment also requested factory owners to pay half of the current month's wages in advance following discussions with workers, noting that about 150 RMG factories had not paid December 2025 wages as of 2 March 2026.
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After the meeting, Fazlee Shamim Ehsan, executive president of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) and president of the Bangladesh Employers Federation, told The Business Standard, "The ministry requested employers to pay February's salary as per the labour law, meaning within seven working days, and the festival bonus by 12 March."
"We agreed to the ministry's request; however, we asked them to allow another two to three days to pay the festival bonus," he added.
Ehsan also said that regarding Eid holidays, the government asked factory authorities to discuss with their workers and decide accordingly.
