Prime Minister and BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman is scheduled to address a massive labour rally in front of the party’s central office in Nayapaltan Friday, to mark International Workers’ Day.
This will be his first address at a May Day rally in the capital since assuming the office of prime minister. The event, organised by the Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal, is set to commence at 2:30pm.
The party has undertaken extensive preparations for the gathering, with senior leaders expecting a massive turnout of hundreds of thousands of labourers and activists from Dhaka and its surrounding districts.
Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, BNP secretary general and minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives, will attend as the special guest along with other top-ranking party leaders.
Details of the programme were shared by Nazrul Islam Khan, member of the BNP Standing Committee and political adviser to the prime minister, during a press conference held at the party’s central office on Thursday.
Highlighting the significance of the event, Nazrul said this year’s May Day is being observed against a challenging backdrop for the working class. He pointed to several critical issues, including the long-standing delay in declaring a national pay scale for minimum wages, the proliferation of outsourcing-based recruitment, a shrinking labour market, and the rise of unemployment among the educated.
The BNP leader further alleged that the abolition of various government posts in favour of outsourcing has restricted employment opportunities.
Nazrul also noted that vital foreign-exchange-earning sectors, such as the jute industry, have been severely damaged, leading to an increased dependency on foreign products over domestic industries.
The rally is expected to formally raise several key demands for the establishment of workers’ rights.
These include the freedom to form trade unions, ensuring a decent work environment, establishing safe workplaces, and the introduction of a rationing system. The BNP anticipates spontaneous participation from the working community in support of these demands.
