May Day observed in Bangladesh

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir addressing a May Day rally of the BNP at Naya Paltan on Wednesday 1 May 2024.

The historic May Day was observed today in the country and elsewhere across the world in a befitting manner.

The day is being observed across the globe since 1886 commemorating the supreme sacrifices of the workers at Hay Market, Chicago, in the USA for eight-hour working day and upholding the rights of the working people.

To press home their demands, working people had to sacrifice their valuable lives in tragic bomb attacks and police atrocities on May 1, 1886 and the following days.

President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages on the occasion of the May Day.

Various organisations arranged different programmes to mark the day.

The Ministry of Labour and Employment arranged a discussion at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) in the capital.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina addressed the discussion as the chief guest.

Earlier, she handed over cheques of financial assistance to some labour families. She later witnessed a colourful cultural programme.

State Minister for Labour and Employment Md Nazrul Islam Chowdhury, Chairman of the Standing Committee on the Labour and Employment Ministry HM Ibrahim, Country Director of International Labour Organization (ILO) to Bangladesh Tuomo Poutiainen, President of Bangladesh Employers' Federation Ardashir Kabir and President of Jatiya Shramik League Noor Qutub Alam Mannan spoke at the discussion.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party organized a rally in fromt of its central office at Naya Paltan. The programme was addressed among others by MIrza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, secretary general of the Party.

Biplabi Sramik Sanghati organized a diuscussion meeting at the central office of the Biplabi Workers Party and also brought out a procession in the city to voice the demands of workers.

Marking the day, Green Bangla Garments Workers Federation and National Workers Unity Centre jointly arranged a rally in front of Jatiya Press Club.

Besides, Communist Party of Bangladesh, Jatiya Mukti Council, Jatiya Sramik Jote, Bangladesh Labour Congress, National Domestic Workers Centre, Biplabi Sramik Sanghati, Prabashi Sramik Kalyan Parishad, Sammilita Sramik Parishad, Bangladesh Trade Union Federation and Sramajibi Parishad and other organisations arranged discussions, cultural functions and rallies. Human chains were also formed. 

On Wednesday, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Secretary General of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), urged all, regardless of their political affiliations, to initiate a new movement aimed at reclaiming the rights of the people and eliminating widespread corruption.

Biplabi Workers Party organised a discussion on May Day on Wednesday

Speaking at a rally in Nayapaltan, the BNP leader  criticized the government's economic policies. "The government has established a reign of looting by destroying banks and all other economic institutions and capturing all businesses. They have grabbed all the businesses of people belonging to the opposition parties even in the rural areas,” he stated.

Addressing the crowd before the rally, the BNP leader highlighted the need for unity among people from various sectors to restore their rights. "We must all come together. On this May Day, I urge all political parties and ideological organizations, particularly workers' unions, to be united...let’s wage a movement to achieve our desired goal of getting back our voting and democratic rights and the rights of people. This should be our pledge on this May Day,” he said.

The rally, organized by the Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal, an associate body of the BNP, was held to mark May Day.

Fakhrul also accused the government of attempting to impose a one-party rule, diverging from past methods. “A unilateral governance system is being established in the country. Their tactics are different this time. They do not want to establish BaKSAL now passing a bill in the parliament as before. They want to do it by destroying all democratic institutions under the guise of democracy.”

He reaffirmed the opposition’s commitment to democracy and expressed determination to continue the struggle. "We must always remember one thing, that we have never been defeated in the past, and we will not be defeated in the future as well. Our goal is to establish democracy and restore the voting rights of people in Bangladesh. We’re ready to make more sacrifices to this end,” he added.

The BNP leader lamented that May Day is being observed at a time when the hardworking people of Bangladesh are bereft of their basic rights, under what he termed a “demonic regime”.

The rally started in the afternoon with cultural performances on a makeshift stage built with trucks in front of the party's headquarters, energizing leaders and workers despite the high temperatures.

As the event unfolded, traffic in the Nayapaltan area slowed, with one side of the road closed. Hundreds of BNP leaders and activists had gathered since noon, arriving in small processions to participate in the rally. – UNB with GreenWatch News Desk