The government has formed a board to fix the minimum wage of employees of export processing zones (EPZs).

The Prime Minister's Office issued a gazette notification in this regard on November 9.

This will be the first wage board under the Bangladesh EPZ Labour Act 2019, said Abu Syeed Md Anwar Parvez, executive director (public relation) of Bepza.

The last minimum wage board for the EPZ workers was formed in 2018, when the minimum monthly wage was fixed at Tk 8,200, he said.

Previously, Bepza used to form wage boards abiding by the prime minister's instructions and in tune with workers outside of EPZs, he said.

He also said the wage board for workers outside of EPZs would be kept in mind during the declaration of minimum wage for EPZ workers.

This comes against the backdrop of brewing unrest among garment workers regarding their minimum wage.

There are eight EPZs around the country, employing a total of 480,235 workers in 449 industrial units.

Parvez added that a cumulative investment of around $6,534.56 million was made from home and aboard in over 30 sectors -- including textiles, agro-based industries, chemicals, backward and forward linkage industries and electrical equipment and components -- since 1983.

According to him, one economic zone is being established inside the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar in Chattogram.

Besides, project plans for two more EPZs have been endorsed by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) recently.

Plans for another have been sent to the Planning Commission for Ecnec approval, Parvez noted.

According to the notification, the 11-member wage board comprises of Abul Kalam Mohammad Ziaur Rahman, executive chairman of Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (Bepza), Ali Reza Mazid, member, Tanvir Hossain, executive director (investment promotion), Morsheda Akhter, joint secretary to the labour and employment ministry, Shadad Mosharraf Hossaion, chairman of Bangladesh EPZ Investors' Association, Najrul Islam, chairman of GH Haewae Co Ltd, and Mukta, chairman of SG Wicus (BD).