B Mirror Report: Today is Great May Day, observed in Bangladesh and around the world as a day to uphold the rights of working people. On the occasion, President Md. Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Tarek Rahman issued separate messages.
This year’s theme is: “Healthy workers, diligent hands, a new dawn will emerge.” The President extended heartfelt greetings and congratulations to workers in Bangladesh and across the globe.
He said that the contribution of working people to the country’s development is immense, describing workers as the key drivers of national progress. Their tireless efforts in industry, agriculture, construction, and other sectors continue to propel the economy forward. To achieve the goal of building a prosperous Bangladesh, he emphasized the need to ensure workers’ fair rights, safe working conditions, and social protection.
The President also expressed confidence that by ensuring workers’ rights, fostering harmonious labor-management relations, and safeguarding occupational health, Bangladesh will rise to unique global heights as a worker-friendly, humane, and just nation.
Prime Minister Tarek Rahman stated that the government is committed to improving the living standards of workers. He noted that the government is determined to ensure fair wages through regular wage reviews, as well as equal pay for men and women.
He also mentioned that the government has taken the initiative to introduce a “Probashi Card” to ensure economic security and various benefits for migrant workers.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister is scheduled to deliver a speech for the first time at a workers’ rally organized by the Bangladesh Nationalist Labour Party in Dhaka on the occasion of May Day. This was announced by BNP Standing Committee member Nazrul Islam Khan at a press conference held at the party’s central office on Thursday.
On this day in 1886, workers in Chicago, USA, launched a strike at Haymarket demanding an eight-hour workday, better working conditions, and higher wages. They took to the streets to press their demands.
However, the protest was brutally suppressed, and several workers lost their lives in police firing. The incident sparked global outrage, and the sacrifice of those workers laid the foundation for the establishment of workers’ rights worldwide.
