Historic May Day today

GBNews24 Desk//

The historic May Day is being observed on Sunday in the country and elsewhere across the world with due respect.

The day is being observed across the globe since 1886 commemorating the supreme sacrifices of the workers at Hay Market, Chicago, in the USA for eight-hour working day and upholding the rights of the working people, reports BSS.

To press home their demands, working people had to sacrifice their valuable lives in tragic bomb attacks and police atrocities on May 1, 1886 and the following days.

This year’s theme of the day is ‘Sramik-Malik Ekota, Unnayanaer Nishchoyota’.

President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday issued separate messages on the occasion of the historic May Day.

They extended their greetings to all working people of the world, including Bangladesh, wishing success of all programmes on the occasion.

In his message, the president said Father of Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had fought for the rights of hard-working people throughout his life.

Bangabandhu was a true friend of working people and therefore, after independence, ‘May Day’ received state recognition and he declared May Day a public holiday, he added.

Bangabandhu set up a wage commission to ensure fair rights of the workers and he also announced a new salary structure for the workers, Hamid said.

In 1972, under the initiative and strong leadership of Father of Nation, Bangladesh became a member of the International Labor Organization (ILO) and ratified 29 conventions, including 6 core conventions of the ILO, which is a rare occurrence, the head of the state said.

The article 14 of the constitution of Bangladesh promises to ensure the fundamental rights of all citizens and to free the peasants and workers from all forms of exploitation, he continued.