01/05/2026
May 1st is more than a holiday, it is a reminder that workers' rights were never given freely; they were fought for. In Bangladesh, that fight is deeply personal.
Just a week ago, on April 24th, Bangladesh marked 13 years since the Rana Plaza tragedy, a wound that has never fully healed. An eight-storey building in Savar collapsed in 90 seconds, killing at least 1,136 garment workers and injuring thousands more. Thirteen years on, families and survivors still gather at the memorial site in Savar each April, and justice remains unfinished.
The broader picture is just as sobering. Over 85% of Bangladesh's 70 million-strong labour force works in the informal sector, without formal contracts, social security, or union representation. Women bear a disproportionate burden, facing pay disparities, and limited maternity leave, despite powering the industry that drives the nation's economy.
On this May Day, we honour every worker who keeps this country moving, seen and unseen. Their dignity is not negotiable.
In memory of the lives lost at Rana Plaza. May they never be forgotten.
Source: The Daily Star, The Business Standard.
