BNP to bring out rally in city on May 1

Having failed to get permission for a workers' rally at Suhrawardy Udyan, BNP's labour wing Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal has decided to bring out a rally in the city on Tuesday, marking the historic May Day. Sramik Dal General Secretary Nurul Islam Khan came up with the announcement at a press briefing at BNP's Naya Paltan headquarters on Monday. He said they earlier sought permission from the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), through a letter, for holding a meeting at Suhrawardy Udyan on the occasion of International Workers' Day on Tuesday. "They still didn't respond to it,” he added. Under such circumstances, Khan said, "We've decided to take out a workers' rally from in front of our Naya Paltan office around 11am on May Day." He said they have already informed the DMP authorities about bringing out the rally. Speaking at the program, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said it is regrettable that the government did not allow the Sramik Dal to hold the meeting at Suhrawardy Udyan on International Workers' Day. "They didn't give the permission as the word ‘Jatiyatabadi’ is tagged with Sramik Dal." He said Awami League does not allow its opponents to hold any public rally as it fears people and their gatherings, adding: "It's an anti-people and anti-workers government." Rizvi strongly condemned and protested the government's decision of not allowing Sramik Dal to hold the meeting. Earlier on April 21, BNP Standing Committee Member Nazrul Islam Khan announced that Sramik Dal would hold a workers' meeting at the historic Suhrawardy Udyan on May 1. May 1 – International Workers' Day – will be observed in Bangladesh as elsewhere across the world on Tuesday amid various programs highlighting the workers’ rights and safety at workplaces.