Staff Reporter :The Historic May Day will be observed today (Friday) in the country as elsewhere in the world with a renewed pledge to protect the rights of workers. The day is observed across the world every year since 1886 commemorating the supreme sacrifices of workers of the Hay Market, Chicago in the United States to establish the rights of eight-hour work day and with a renewed pledge to uphold the rights of working class.The May Day is also known as International Workers’ Day.The police were trying to disperse a public assembly in Chicago during a general strike for the eight-hour workday, when an unidentified person threw a bomb at the police. The police responded by firing on the workers, killing four demonstrators. The day is a public holiday. City streets will be decorated with banners and festoons with slogans of May Day.Different political and labour organisations, particularly the labour wings of political parties, professional bodies and cultural organisations have chalked out elaborate programmes to observe the day. President Advocate Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Bangladesh Nationalist Party Chairperson Khaleda Zia in separate messages greeted the country’s working class people of the country and wished their overall welfare.Labour and Employment Ministry has chalked out an elaborate program to observe the historical May Day today (Friday) in a befitting manner.The theme of this year’s May Day is “Sramik-Malik Oikya Gori, Sonar Bangla Gore Tuli”. The programs included rally, cultural programs and seminars, broadcasting of special programmes by Bangladesh Betar and Bangladesh Television, and bringing out special supplements in the national and regional newspapers, describing the significant of the Day. The Ministry of Labour and Employment has also chalked out elaborate programme to mark the day.Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to inaugurate the day’s programs at Bangabandhu International Conference Center today at 4.30pm. A colourful rally will be brought out from in front of the Srama Bhaban on the RAJUK Avenue around 7.30 am on Friday and it will end at National Press Club after parading Dainik Bangla crossing and Paltan. State Minister for Labour and Employment Ministry Md Mujibul Haq Chunnu will lead the rally. Two seminars will be held at VIP lounge of the JPC marking the May Day on May 4.To mark the Day, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia is expected to address a public rally as the chief guest in the city’s historic Suhrawardy Udyan today if the Dhaka Metropolitan Police accords permission to the party to hold the rally. Sramik Dal President said, if DMP remains negative, we shall arrange a discussion at Engineers Institution’s auditorium. “But we also need DMP’s permission to hold discussion at Engineers Institution’s auditorium,” he said.
