Fair wages still not implemented: Mirza Fakhrul

BNP Secretary General and Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Friday said workers remain the main force behind political and economic change in Bangladesh and called for fair wages and better living standards for laborers.

He made the remarks at a May Day rally organized by the Nationalist Workers’ Party in front of the BNP central office in Nayapaltan, where Prime Minister and BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman attended as the chief guest.

Fakhrul said Tarique Rahman has become a symbol of hope for working people and is leading efforts to rebuild the economy and state institutions after years of decline. He praised the prime minister’s recent parliamentary speech, calling it a roadmap for a prosperous Bangladesh.

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Recalling workers’ role in political movements, he said laborers have always sacrificed for change. Referring to the December 2022 Nayapaltan clash, he said a workshop worker named Maqbul was the first martyr in the fight against fascism.

He also urged the government to ensure a dignified minimum wage for workers amid rising living costs and called for better conditions for tea workers, along with education and healthcare for workers’ children.

Fakhrul said no modern democratic state can be built without improving the welfare of workers and urged unity among the labor force to continue national progress.