At least 22 sectors in Bangladesh continue to pay their workers much less than what is needed to meet basic human needs.

Proper implementation of the new minimum wage needs extended attention.

If this is the situation with labour rights in the country, we should fear not only the repercussions of the US memorandum, but also potential actions of the European Union.

M Touhid Hossain, former foreign secretary of Bangladesh, discusses the implications and significance of the recent US labour rights policy with The Daily Star.

Even with low productivity, a Bangladeshi worker working an average of 14-15 hours a day produces $1,400 or more a month.

Rather than assuage the workers by announcing a respectable wage, the wage board has essentially fuelled workers’ outrage and made a mockery of the wage negotiation process