Thousands of leaders and activists of the Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal, the labour wing of BNP, gathered at Nayapaltan in Dhaka on Thursday to attend a rally marking May Day.
By 11:30am, members from the Dhaka North and South city units, along with neighbouring district units, had started arriving in processions. They carried banners, placards, and festoons demanding workers' rights, chanting slogans to press home their demands, reports UNB.
The rally is scheduled to begin at 2pm in front of BNP’s central office, with party acting chairman Tarique Rahman expected to address the event virtually as the chief guest, focusing on labour issues and national politics. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and other senior leaders are also slated to speak.
A temporary stage made from trucks has been set up on the street, where cultural performers entertained the crowd to maintain morale under the intense summer heat.
Speaking at a press briefing on Wednesday, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi urged workers to join the rally in large numbers to raise their voices against the hardships they face. He said the Sramik Dal had prepared placards and materials outlining 12 key demands.
Earlier, on April 22, BNP Standing Committee Member Nazrul Islam Khan announced the rally plan, highlighting the party’s aim to mobilise mass participation and advocate for workers’ rights nationwide.
Bd-pratidin English/FNC
