They were speaking at a rally in the city protesting the industrial layoffs and privatisation in the jute sector.

They staged the rally at Muktangan to express their solidarity with the two-day hartal in Khulna city that ended yesterday. The laid-off workers called the hartal in protest against the closure of three jute mills in Khalishpur industrial area.

The Communist Party of Bangladesh, Left Democratic Front, Workers Party and the Shilpa-Krishi Rokkhya Jatiya Andolon took part in the rally.

The leaders called on the government to withdraw its decision on industrial layoffs.

They appealed to the government not to throw thousands of labourers and employees into an uncertain future by closing down the mills and factories one after another.

They also demanded immediate reopening of the closed industrial units.

"The coalition government is jeopardising the lives of working people while implementing the prescriptions of the IMF and World Bank," said Morshed Ali of Left Democratic Front.

He said the government wants to make 1.3 lakh workers and employees redundant this year.

He also criticised the government for failing to purchase jute directly from the farmers at the rate of Tk 500 per maund.

"The jute growers are becoming paupers as they are forced to sell their harvest at Tk 245 per maund even though the production cost is around Tk 300 to 400," Ali said.

Later, the demonstrators marched towards Gulistan in a procession, but the police intercepted it at the Zero Point.