Shimul Biswas :
To establish democracy, good governance, fair vote and rights of the workers are now the main politics of Bangladesh.
Firstly, the economics of Bangladesh stand on labour and sweat of the toiling people. Workers of agriculture production, expatriate remittance and garments have merely kept the Economic of Bangladesh.
It further can be clearly said that comparatively the low educated toiling people are the soul of our economics.
And middle and highly educated ones are jobless in the country. But it is bad luck, the wheel of economics here moves in their industrious blood and sweat but they are deprived of rights today. They are still struggling on the highway to realize their legal rights.
Movement history of the workers is the best precedent in British India, Pakistan and subsequently Bangladesh.
Those workers have played a great role in the mass uprising of the Sixty nine and 71’s independence, liberation war and movement of workers.
Group of workers not only struggle for themselves but also fight to realize the rights of mass people and overall development of the country.
Working as an alliance of unity (SKOP) scarified their blood on the highway in the movement against dictatorship government combining with students and people even in 59’s mass uprising, 71’s liberation war and 90’s mass upraise.
They incessantly poured their blood to establish democracy and rights of the people by fall of the dictatorship ruler. Workers came down on the highway leaving factories and offices.
The right workers group are historically uncompromised from era to era. In the decade of seventy, worker movements of Dhaka Tejgaon, Gazipur Tongi, Narayanganj Adamjee, Khulna Khalishpur, Jashore Noapara changed the political pace of this country.
Ruling Awami League has tarnished the previous sacrifices of the people. Especially, they damaged research, science, knowledge exercise and traditional stance and throttled the movement of office, institution and factory.
In reality, workers and students are the most effective power against fascism. If the student society and group of workers awake, it is possible to write a new history of Bangladesh.
Workers have already organized and raised their voices with new stimulation.
Garments, transport including different institutional – non institutional workers have come down in the field centering their rights.
Secondly, there are about 12 crore voters out of nearly 18 crore people in Bangladesh and the number of workers and employees are 7.35 crore as per BBS statistics.
As per observation of international human rights and workers organizations, worker exploitation and torture are exciting.
As per labour law, although the workers of different organizations are recognized to organize, the government with help of police and its party cadres have occupied most of the opposition supporting trade union offices with different opinions.
Government supporter Shramik League has stopped activities of workers trade union supporters of opposition parties through muscle power.
Even though worker groups of Mirpur, Gazipur, Bhaluka, Narayanganj and Chattogram have awakened now, only time is waiting to establish the rights of the people.
It has been very tough to maintain the life at the present salary at the price hike of the present market.
They are losing their service through termination and victimized of torture and beat. Rebellion of the workers group will be a great story in the war of freedom through revolution against agony of such fearful exploitation. Situation is going towards that side.
Thirdly, although there is a right to participate in meeting assembly and trade union activities as per Bangladesh Labour Law, police have illegally implicated false cases and arrested many leaders of trade union workers due to participation in the peaceful meeting and assembly.
Due to arrest and false cases they are losing their services and passing inhuman life. Pictures after arrest are more scary. Arrestees are physically tortured in custody of police.
They are being detained in jail month after month without any justice. Trade union and political workers and leaders supporters of opposition are deprived of human rights and physically and mentally torture in jail.
They are not given emergency treatment and medicine, necessary food when they become ill.
Last example of which, Fazlur Rahman Kajol, a labour leader detained in jail, took a pathetic death without treatment. Police arrested Fazlulur Rahman Kajol, joint convener of Shramik Dal, Mugda Thana Committee, Dhaka South City Corporation without any warrant on 26 October last to cancel the peaceful BNP assembly.
Court sent Kajol to jail without giving bail in a false case filed by police. Kajol has been ailing in physical and mental torture of the Jail authority in jail custody at Kashimpur.
Jail authority admitted him with Handcups and stirrups in Suhrawardi Medical College Hospital referred from Dhaka Medical on 26 December.
Kajol died without treatment on 28 December night in stirrups in legs and handcups in two hands at hospital floor without bed.
Fourthly, amid such dream breaking and frustration workers along with the people are again organizing. Group of the organized workers speak for themselves and they do not go back to sacrifice their life and blood.
Labour group input inspiration to write innovative history and make the foundation of movement and struggle with new stimulation.
American President Joe Biden spoke for workers rights. If workers are deprived of rights, if tortured, the voice of US prohibition has been raised.
The US President and foreign secretary Antony Blingcan spoke, specifying the name of Kalpona Akter, worker of Bangladesh Worker movement. Such steps now towards new expectations in movement of workers deprived of rights in Bangladesh.
To oppress workers depriving them of reasonable wages is similar to the great violation of human rights. It is essential to free Bangladesh from such a trap of ruling party fascism to build a welfare and fair state through termination of such tyranny. Come and let’s participate in this struggle to make a free mother and motherland.
(Writer is Chief Coordinator Jatiya Shramik Karmachari-Convention-2023 and Special; Assistant to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia )