May Day to be observed Sunday

The historic May Day will be observed in Bangladesh on Sunday as elsewhere across the world with due respect.

May Day, also known as the International Workers' Solidarity Day, commemorates the historic uprising of working people in Chicago, USA at the height of a prolonged fight for an eight-hour workday in the late nineteenth century.

The day is a public holiday in Bangladesh.

This year, the theme for this historic day in Bangladesh is "Sramik-Malik Ekota, Unnoyoner Nischoyota '' (roughly translated reads: workers-owners unity, assurance of development).

President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages ahead of the day.

President Hamid called upon all development stakeholders to work together to ensure welfare of the country’s workers.

“In order to survive in today's competitive world,  workers and employers along with the government will need to be more dedicated to maintaining a good relationship to boost production," said the president.

The Prime Minister in her message said, “Our government has taken all possible measures to tackel the Covid situation including distribution of relief among the working people to stand beside them”.

She urged all to build happy, rich and Sonar Bangla as dreamt Bangabandhu by working for the welfare of working people and the country's overall development.

Newspapers will publish supplements while radio and television channels will air special programmes highlighting the significance of the day.

Different organizations, political parties chalked out dedicated programmes to observe the day.

On May 1, 1886, 10 workers were killed when police opened fire on a demonstration in the US city of Chicago near Hay Market demanding an eight-hour working day instead of a 12-hour shift. On the height of agitation, the authorities had to accept the workers' demand and the eight-hour day has been introduced universally.

On July 14, 1889, an international workers' rally in Paris declared May 1 as the International Workers’ Solidarity Day in recognition of the Chicago workers' sacrifice and achievement and since 1890, the day has been observed globally as the International Workers’ Solidarity Day.

The day has been observed globally as the International Workers’ Solidarity Day since 1890.