Jatiya Party MP Anisul Islam Mahmud has urged the garment owners to increase the wages of the workers up to 80 percent of the existing remuneration.

While delivering his speech on the proposed national budget Saturday, the former foreign minister also urged the government to extract coal in Dinajpur by open mining method.

"I urge my worker brothers not to destroy the factory. You will be the victims if the industry goes," said Mahmood, who owns some garment factories.

In the same vein he also urged the factory owners: "you increase the wages of the workers by 70 to 80 percent".

The workers of the ready-made garments industry have been bargaining with the owners for increasing their existing minimum wage from Tk 1662.50 to Tk 5,000 per month.

The agitating workers last week went on a rampage in Ashulia, demanding hike of the minimum wage.

"I personally think the government should go for open mining instead of the tunnel method," said Mahmood, pointing out that the tunnel technology would give 35 percent coal while the open mining would produce 85 percent.