Sramik Dal to hold May Day rally, PM to be chief guest

Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal, the labour wing of BNP, is set to hold a large rally in the capital on the occasion of International Workers' Day. The rally will take place at 2:00 pm on Friday, May 1, in front of BNP's central office in Nayapaltan.

Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman is scheduled to attend as the chief guest. BNP Secretary General and Local Government Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, along with other top leaders, will also be present.

According to party sources, all preparations for the rally, including stage construction and sound system installation, have been completed. Several meetings with the administration have been held to ensure security. Activists from Sramik Dal and other BNP associate bodies from Dhaka and surrounding districts have been instructed to join the rally. Organisers expect a gathering of nearly 500,000 people.

The road from Fakirapul to Kakrail may remain partially closed on the day of the rally. Vehicles have been advised to use alternative routes. Special arrangements will be in place to keep emergency services, especially ambulances, operational.

Sramik Dal Member Secretary of Dhaka South Metropolitan, Md Badrul Alam Sabuj, said preparations have been ongoing for the past two weeks to make the rally a success. Free medical camps and mobile toilets will also be arranged for participants.

BNP Standing Committee member Nazrul Islam Khan said the rally is a continuation of workers' long-standing struggle for rights, democracy and an equitable society. He also emphasised fair wages, employment and economic stability for workers.

The International Workers' Day is observed worldwide in memory of the 1886 Chicago movement demanding an eight-hour workday. This year's theme is "Healthy workers, skilled hands; a new dawn will arrive."