May Day Workers’ Rally Held

On the occasion of International Workers’ Day, the central committee of Jatiya Sramik Jot–Bangladesh organised a large workers’ rally and red flag march in the capital on Friday, 1 May 2026. The programme began at 10:00 AM at Bangabandhu Avenue, where labour leaders and workers gathered to mark May Day and present a series of labour-related demands.

According to organisers, thousands of workers and employees from various factories, workplaces and informal sectors took part in the rally. Participants attended under the banners of different basic unions and craft federations. Following the rally, a red flag procession moved through several key areas of the city, including Bangabandhu Avenue, Gulistan, Paltan and Topkhana, before joining a separate gathering organised by the Workers-Employees Unity Council in front of the National Press Club.

The rally was chaired by Jatiya Sramik Jot President and freedom fighter Saifuzzaman Badsha. Proceedings were conducted by the organisation’s Organisational Secretary, Kanak Barman.

Speakers included General Secretary Noimul Ahsan Jewel. A solidarity address was delivered by Shafiuddin Molla, Vice President of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JASAD). Other speakers were Vice President Abdur Razzak; Youth Alliance President Shariful Kabir Swapan; JASAD Office Secretary Sajjad Hossain; Garments Workers Alliance President Sardar Khorshed; Assistant Organisational Secretary Shahin Akter Parvin; Transport Hawkers Alliance President Mohammad Ali; Office Secretary Rajib Ahmed; International Affairs Secretary Monirul Kabir Milon; Garments Industry Workers Alliance General Secretary Sheikh Shahnaz; Garments Workers Alliance General Secretary Abdus Salam; Vice President Shirin Sikdar; Bookbinding Workers Alliance President Jamil Bhuiyan; Decorators Workers leader Md. Alam Khan; and Bangladesh Disabled Working People Development Alliance President Md. Alamgir Hossain, among others.

During the rally, speakers called for an immediate halt to factory closures and worker layoffs, and urged measures to guarantee employment security. They also demanded the formation of a National Wage Board and sector-based wage boards to determine a minimum national wage of 30,000 taka, aligned with prevailing market prices.

The speakers further called for the removal of legal barriers to establishing trade unions in factories and workplaces across the country. They also demanded decent and safe working environments for employees and implementation of the nine-point demands of SCOP.

International Workers’ Day, commonly known as May Day, is observed annually on 1 May in many countries to recognise workers’ rights, labour movements and occupational welfare.