The Bangladesh Domestic Workers Union Central Committee organised a rally and procession at the capital’s Purana Paltan intersection on Friday to mark International Workers’ Day, demanding the assurance of a national minimum wage and human dignity for labourers.
Speaking as the chief guest, Ruhin Hossain Prince, former general secretary of the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), stated that the movement to ensure fair wages, security, dignity, and rights for domestic workers employed both at home and abroad has been ongoing and will continue.
He called for the immediate implementation of the 11-point charter of demands formulated for domestic workers.
Prince further noted that the primary struggle for the country’s labourers is to ensure employment and gain formal recognition as workers. He pointed out that while such recognition may exist on paper, the specific rights mandated under labour laws are still absent.
He urged the government to immediately announce a national minimum wage and establish the right to survival for workers in the informal sector, as well as for the country’s farmers and agricultural labourers.
The rally was addressed by special guests including Comrade Luna Nur, general secretary of the CPB Dhaka City Committee; Shakharov Hossain Sebak, member of the Central Director’s Council of the Domestic Workers Union; and Salma Akter, member of the union’s central committee. Also speaking were Afroz Akter, general secretary of the Domestic Workers Union Central Committee, and Moyna Akter, president of the central committee. The event was moderated by Rabiul Islam Rabi.
Speakers at the event emphasised that despite domestic workers making significant contributions to the national economy, they remain deprived of proper recognition and protection. They asserted that ensuring the valuation of their labour, legal protection, and social dignity is a demand of the time.
Following the rally, a procession paraded through the streets before returning to the rally site. Participants chanted slogans aimed at building workers’ unity to achieve their rights. Union leaders declared that the movement would persist until their demands are met, with larger programmes to be announced in the coming days.
