DHAKA, Sept 4, 2024 (BSS) - BNP Standing Committee Member and eminent labour leader Nazrul Islam Khan today urged the leaders and activists of Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal to foil conspiracies of destroying the country's industries in the name of labour movement.

"As a labour organization, we must fight to protect jobs of workers and other rights protected in the labour law. But we have to understand that conspiracy is being hatched to create chaos in the country in the name of labour movement. We have to resist it," he said.

Nazrul Islam, also chief adviser to the Sramik Dal, the labour wing of BNP, said this while addressing an emergency meeting as the chief guest at Sramik Dal Central office in the city's Naya Paltan area in the wake of labour movement in different garment and pharmaceuticals factories in different industrial areas.

BNP Standing Committee Member Professor Dr AZM Zahid Hossain addressed the meeting as the special guest while Chief Coordinator of the Sramik Dal Advocate Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas moderated it.

Nazrul Islam said though the autocrat government has collapsed, cohorts of the autocrat are still in their respective positions, who were given immense opportunity to amass wealth through corruption and illegal means to consolidate the dictatorship.

They are now trying to use their money and influence to thwart the victory achieved through the student-people movement, he added.

The 2024 defeated forces know well that they could not yield anything right now through political statements, the senior BNP leader said, adding they are now trying to use people from different classes and professions to ruin the victory of the student-people movement by creating chaos in the country.
 
"The agitating workers might have some logical demands, but they should give the government logical time," he said, adding that ongoing labour movement in different industrial areas is part of domestic and international conspiracy.

He urged the labour leaders to resolve the problem with the cooperation of local people, leaders of local units, the association of factory owners and the local administration.

Referring to ousted Awami League (AL) government, the BNP leader said, "We wanted resignation. But they fled the country along with family members and people around them. It is the consequence of their misdeeds".

Not only leaders and activists of BNP and its associated bodies have sacrificed their lives, hundreds of people from all walks of life, including female and children, also dedicated their lives in the movement, he said, adding: "We have liability to those people and we cannot let their blood go in vain".

Speaking about BNP, Nazrul Islam said, the party is now enjoying the highest popularity in the country, adding, BNP always tries to fulfill the aspirations of the mass people.
 
Referring to BNP's history, he said AL had established the single-party BAKSAL, but founder of BNP Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman revived the multiparty democracy on the grave of BAKSAL.

Dictator Ershad again killed the democracy, but BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia restored it, Nazrul Islam said, adding, even she forced the military-backed caretaker government to withdraw the state of emergency.

Now BNP, under the leadership of Tarique Rahman, made popular the one-point demand of toppling the previous government that finally forced them to resign, he said.

"We want to come to power not to suppress the people, launder crores of money abroad or make the banks empty. We want to go to power to reform the state," he said and urged the party men to work so that the public representatives get the opportunity to govern the state.

Addressing the meeting, Dr Zahid Hossain said the country never witnessed any movement in the pharmaceuticals industry, but currently many pharmaceutical factories came under attack in the name of labour movement.

He urged the Sramik Dal leaders to remain alert so that none can make the Sramik Dal scapegoat of his or her ill efforts.

Shimul Biswas, also BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's special assistant, said the Awami League government has destroyed the country's tea, jute and leather industries and now conspiracy is being hatched to destroy the garment and pharmaceutical industries.

He urged the Sramik Dal leaders to remain vigilant so that no vested quarter can pull the country back by destroying the country's industries.

Sramik Dal President Anwar Hossain presided over the meeting in the presence of its acting General Secretary Mustafizul Karim Mazumder while leaders of Sramik Dal from different units across the country joined it.