On the occasion of International Workers’ Day, most hotels and restaurants across Dhaka remained closed, as workers in the sector were granted leave — a rare gesture in an industry often criticized for ignoring labour rights.
May Day is a public holiday in Bangladesh, and workers from both the public and private sectors are entitled to the day off.
While this right is commonly denied to those employed in hotels and restaurants, this year presented an exception. Businesses across the capital observed the holiday, from high-end establishments to small roadside eateries.
During visits to various parts of Dhaka South, it was found that even modest eateries were closed. Hotel owners said they had decided to give all employees the day off for May Day.
Workers expressed enthusiasm over receiving the holiday. Some were seen playing cricket and football on the streets, while others spent time with their families or travelled to their home villages.
At the Star Hotel and Restaurant on Johnson Road, and Ghoroa Hotel in Motijheel, staff who are usually occupied with heavy workloads shared that they were enjoying a well-earned break.
A worker from Ghoroa Hotel told Bangla Tribune: “Our hotel has over a hundred staff, and all of us are on leave today. This leave has been given on the occasion of Labour Day. Some of us are spending the day playing sports, while others are going out for leisure.”
Md Russell, an employee of Rajmahal Restaurant in Koltabazar, said: “I’ve been working here for 14 years. We never used to get leave on May Day, but for the last two years we have. It feels good to have a day in the year dedicated to us.”
However, not all businesses were allowed to operate freely. In some alleys, small food shops run solely by their owners stayed open, only to be forcefully shut down.
Several individuals wearing T-shirts of the “Bangladesh Hotel Restaurant Sweetmeat Workers’ Federation” were seen ordering these eateries to close, allegedly threatening consequences if they did not comply.
Around 2:30pm on Johnson Road, a group of men wearing the federation’s T-shirts forced the shutter down at Oli Biryani House. They instructed that no food was to be sold for the rest of the day.
Shahed, the shop owner, said he runs the place alone with help from his wife, and closing the shop means a big loss. “I’m both worker and owner—no one should force me to shut down,” he told Bangla Tribune.
Customers, too, were affected. Raihan Uddin, who had come to eat at the shop, said: “Giving employees a day off is good. But forcing solo shop owners to close is unjust. I couldn’t find food anywhere and finally came here — only to see this place shut down too.”
