Dhaka, May 1 -- For Bangladesh's garment workers, the beginning of the month is often the most financially challenging, as they struggle to make ends meet until wages are disbursed, typically between the 7th and 10th of every month.

As families dread the high food bills, relatives in their villages anxiously await the arrival of payday.

Recent discussions about introducing a ration system for garment workers have sparked hope for many like Masrufa Yasmin, who believes that receiving rations at the start of the month would help ease the burden of those difficult days.

"It would be great if we could get rations," said Masrufa, who works as a helper at Grameen Fashions in Gazipur. "Then we won't have to worry about food for the first few ...