Workers' festival celebrated with high hopes
The first-ever 'Workers' Festival 2008' was celebrated in the country with participation of huge numbers of garment workers in a festive mood with their hopes high at Osmani Stadium in Narayanganj yesterday.
Bangladesh Knitwear Manufactures and Exporters Association (BKMEA) President Fazlul Haque formally inaugurated the festival by releasing pigeons.
BKMEA organised the programme with an aim to increase friendly relationship between the industry owners and workers.
Wearing colourful dresses and holding banners and festoons, around 50000 workers from different garment factories flocked to the festival premises and enjoyed different entertainment events, including puppet show, bioscope and merry-go-round.
They also participated in a number of entertainment programmes like fashion show, stage drama, dance and musical events.
Talking to this correspondent, Ayesha Khatun, worker of Fakir Apparels, said, “I am so happy to be present at the festival that was really enjoyable. It is still unbelievable that such type of programme was arranged for the poor like us.”
Selina Khatun, worker of Metro Garments, and Shefali of Model D Capital Garments, requested the arrangers for arranging such festival every year.
Meanwhile, protesting the festival, some garment workers led by Mahbubur Rahman Ismail, leader of Garment Sramik Sangram Parishad, staged a symbolic hunger strike at the Chashara Central Shaheed Minar.
Demanding immediate implementation of the tripartite agreement among the government, workers and owners, they said it is necessary to re-fix salary and wage scale instead of holding a festival.
They also demanded withdrawal of all restrictions on trade unionism immediately.
Education and Commerce Adviser Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman distributed awards among the participants. Artistes Mamataj and Bari Siddique rendered various popular numbers.
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