The Jashore district unit of the Bangladesh Workers’ Welfare Federation (Bangladesh Sromik Kalyan Federation) held a rally on Friday (July 10) at the District Council auditorium in Jashore.
Central leaders of the organisation told the rally that ensuring workers’ just rights by establishing an Islamic labour policy was the core aim and purpose of the Federation.
The rally was chaired by Abdul Malek Khan, the Federation’s Jashore district president and a member of its central working committee. The chief guest was the Federation’s central president, advocate Atiqur Rahman.
In his address as chief guest, Atiqur Rahman said: ‘The prevailing labour law has failed to ensure workers’ true emancipation and rights. Only an Islamic labour policy can build a sound relationship between employers and workers and give a fair value to workers’ toil.’
Abdul Malek Khan called on workers to unite to keep the country’s economic wheels turning.
Criticising past governments, Atiqur Rahman said: ‘Nearly 55 years have passed since the country’s independence. Whoever comes to power speaks many fine words about workers. But in reality, over the past 55 years, no government has been seen taking sincere steps to improve the lot of Bangladesh’s workers. Governments come and go, policies change, budgets come and go — yet the wheel of workers’ fortunes never turns.’
Speaking as a special guest was Prof Golam Rasul, the Jashore district Ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, a central Shura member and the member of parliament for Jashore-4.
Calling for all working people to be embraced regardless of party affiliation, he said: ‘We must stand beside workers in any illness, accident, family or land-related problem, or administrative need. If we can stand beside every person through such social work, the workers’ organisation will grow stronger and its bond with the people will deepen.’
Other special guests who spoke included Akhtaruzzaman, the Federation’s central assistant secretary and its Jashore-Kushtia regional director; Prof Mashiur Rahman, a central member of the Federation; Gazi Enamul Haque, the member of parliament for Jashore-5; Abdul Kader, a former student-union vice-president of the government MM College; Belal Hussain, assistant secretary of the district Jamaat; Golam Kuddus; and Abul Hashim Reza, the education and cultural affairs secretary.
Also speaking were Nur-e-Alam Mamun, office secretary of the district Jamaat; Nazrul Islam Hannan, the Federation’s Jashore district vice-president; and members Robiul Islam, Saiful Islam, Ashikullah and Moniruzzaman, among others.
The rally was conducted by Saifur Rahman, assistant secretary of the district Workers’ Welfare Federation.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report