DHAKA - Thousands of Bangladeshi garment workers blocked highways, attacked factories and set fire to shops in Dhaka on Friday, police said, after rejecting the terms of a government wage hike.

An estimated 5,000 workers, who stitch clothes for leading Western brands, blocked the city's main Tejgaon link road and attacked dozens of nearby garment factories with rocks, police sub inspector Abdul Quddul told AFP.

On Tuesday, the government said it would raise the minimum wage for garment workers from 1,662 taka (S$32)- the lowest industry salary worldwide - to 3,000 taka (S$58).

Unions had demanded 5,000 taka (S$97).