The meeting was chaired by Zahirul Islam, coordinator of Sramik Karmachari Sangram Parishad and President of Bangladesh Sramik Karmachari Federation while moderated by Abu Hasan Tipu, the convener of the Revolutionary Workers’ Solidarity.
The meeting was addressed by workers-peasants-agricultural workers leaders, university teachers, sugar mill workers and sugarcane farmers from far and wide.
Professor Moshahida Sultana, a teacher in the Department of Accounting and Information Systems, Dhaka University, addressed the meeting as the chief guest; Mozammel Haque, Convener of National Workers Federation Bangladesh, AAM Fayez Hossain, General Secretary of Bangladesh Workers Federation, Shamim Imam, Convener of National Democratic Workers Federation, Alif Dewan, Joint General Secretary of Revolutionary Trade Union Federation (TUF), Abdul Ali, President of Labor Union Bangladesh, Alamgir Hossain Dulal, convener of the Farmers’ Organization, Abdus Sattar, General Secretary of the Bangladesh Farmers’ Association, Anshar Ali Dulal, President of the National Committee of the Bangladesh Farmers’ Union, Sadiq Reza, Central Leader of the Bangladesh Farmers’ and Workers’ Union, Nazrul Islam, Rubel Biswas; Mozammel Hossain Monju, leader of Krishak-Khetmajur Samiti; CPB Gaibandha District President Mihir Ghosh, Kushtia, Sugar Mill Sugarcane Representative Firoz Kabir, Rangpur Sugar Mill Labor Leader Rafiqul Islam, Jill Bangla Sugar Mill Workers Representative Shekhar Roy, Keru & Co. Sugar Mill Workers Representative Alauddin, Shyampur Sugar Mill Workers Leader Jahangir Alam, Setabganj Labor leader Atowarul Islam Nannu, Krishak-Khetmajur Samiti Naogaon district leader Anisur Rahman and others spoke.
Dhaka University Professor Moshahida Sultana said in her speech, “The government is destroying the industry by moving towards an import-dependent economy. They understand modernity as flyovers, bridges, glittering shopping malls, nuclear power plants, but not the national labor-intensive jute and sugar industries.” She also said, “In this, the workers and peasants are losing their livelihoods and going back to primitive life. All this is just a conspiracy to hide the people about the plans made in the interest of the rich class.”
In their speeches, the leaders said, “Last year, the government closed down six state-owned sugar mills and brought down the darkness of uncertainty in the livelihoods of about 16,000 sugar mill workers, 5 million sugarcane farmers and 5 million people indirectly involved.” It proves that government is not for the interest of working people rather for the interest of the bourgeoisie has been exposed. The government is handing over state-owned factories and institutions to private companies or domestic and foreign private owners one by one to cover up their corruption. As a result, the lives of workers and jute farmers have been also miserable.”
The leaders further said, “So far we have been carrying out various programs demanding the government to modernize the state-owned sugar mills. However, the government has not taken any action as expected. The sugar mill workers, employees, sugarcane farmers, teachers and intellectuals and above all the patriotic masses of all walks of life must unite against this.”
Finally, the President called upon the people of all walks of life to come forward to accelerate the movement for protection of sugar mills and concluded the Representatives Meeting by announcing a day-long symbolic strike in front of Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation on 31 October 2021 in Dhaka.
At the end of the meeting, a procession decorated with festoon-placards with various demands encircled the main streets of the city.
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Bhajan Bishwas
A procession was being brought out in the street.