The BNP-affiliated Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal organized a large workers’ rally in Nayapaltan on Thursday, May 1, in observance of International Workers’ Day. Under the slogan “May Day calls out: End all inequality,” the event began at 2:10 PM with a recitation from the Quran. The streets stretching from Fakirapool to Kakrail turned into a sea of red, as thousands of workers wearing red caps and shirts gathered in front of the BNP’s central office. The rally featured virtual participation by BNP’s acting chairman, Tarique Rahman, who was scheduled to deliver the keynote address from London.

Chants like “Workers of the world, unite and fight” and “We demand immediate national elections” echoed throughout the event. The rally also spotlighted the Sramik Dal’s 12-point demand, including calls for immediate parliamentary elections, justice for state oppression, establishment of day-care centers in all institutions, reopening of closed factories, halting of outsourcing in favor of permanent jobs, democratic trade union rights, investigation of worker deaths, maternity protections for women workers, a Tk 30,000 minimum wage, a non-discriminatory national pay scale, repeal of emergency service laws, and reduction of essential commodity prices.

A massive stage was constructed in front of the BNP office, adorned with a red banner featuring images of Ziaur Rahman, Khaleda Zia, and Tarique Rahman. The day began with patriotic songs performed by members of the party’s cultural wing, drawing in workers from Dhaka and nearby industrial districts. The rally was presided over by Anwar Hossain, president of the Sramik Dal, with speeches from several senior BNP figures, including Shamsuzzaman Dudu, Amanullah Aman, and Annie, among others.