Home
+
Published : 01 May 2025, 05:45 PM
Former chief of the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) Mujahidul Islam Selim sees no change in the fate of labourers after the July Uprising that had the eradication of discrimination at its core.
Speaking at a May Day rally of the Garment Workers Trade Union in front of Mukti Bhaban in Purana Paltan on Thursday, he said: “A mass uprising occurred in the country last July, it was called the student-public mass uprising. It was said that its aim was to remove discrimination.”
“If you call it an anti-discrimination [movement], why are the prices of necessities rising? Why don’t workers’ wages go up?” he asked.
“Salaries rise by Tk 5, the price of commodities leap by Tk 10. You must raise salaries. This discrimination can’t go on. We are fighting to build a country without discrimination for the working-class people; we keep saying -- some people will eat, and some won’t, that can’t happen.”
Addressing the head of the interim government, Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus, Selim said: “We must take steps to enact a minimum wage law in our country by May. We demanded that the minimum national wage be set at Tk 20,000. That demand was made five years ago. Over these five years, the prices of goods have increased. Now the national minimum wage should be set at Tk 30,000.
“I want to tell Yunus - if you are truly against discrimination, then declare a minimum national wage of Tk 30,000 by May. If you delay this, don’t think we’ll forget; we’ll end up increasing our demand for minimum wage to Tk 35,000.”
Selim also announced a mass uprising by workers if necessary.
He said, “Bargaining over wages, firing leaders -- these will not work. They start foaming at the mouth speaking about reforms, but they do not talk about workers’ wages any more. Who is this government for? For the workers or the owners?
“If you say it is neutral, consider -- workers are beaten, killed, and taken to jail in the name of the industrial police; but why don't you arrest owners who have withheld salaries for six months?”
Selim said, “You might think that the workers can't do anything -- you have seen a student revolution. There will be a workers' revolution. The workers' revolution, the workers' movement will forever uproot the exploiters from this society.
“The workers are uniting, they will fight, and you should prepare. Another workers' uprising is for the masses. We will not go home.”
Montu Ghosh, president of the Garment Workers' Trade Union, said: “When garment workers fight [back], they are removed from the streets by the army, the police shoot and kill them. Despite this, garment workers keep fighting. Each brother [worker] stands by the other.
Former CPB president Manjurul Ahsan Khan recounted how government holidays started in the country on International Workers’ Day.
“In 1972, I met Bangabandhu, he said, ‘Manju, I will give you more’. I said ‘What will you give?’ He said, ‘I will declare a government holiday on May Day’. From that day, the government holidays started. The army, police, government employees and a few workers are enjoying the benefits of this. Most workers do not get the May Day holiday.”
Manjurul said, “The working class must seize state power. Today, we must build a united struggle, not one in isolation. If we can all build a movement together, it is possible to achieve all the demands of the workers.
“Workers of all classes and professions must take to the field united. Let’s build a struggle.”
