6-06-06, 8:50 am

Popular Uprising for Adequate Water and Electricity

A popular uprising took place in Shanir Akhra, a suburb of Dhaka. Thousands of people came out on the street demanding adequate supply of water and electricity. Government forces tried to stop the movement with a brutal police attack under the direct guidance of a local MP. The angry masses drove out the MP from that area and drew huge public attention to solve the crisis.

The uprising was organized by 'Demra-Shampur Water-Electricity Action Committee' led by Mosleh Uddin Masud, a young leader of the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) who is convener of this committee. Ultimately the people of Shanir Akhra, crowned with a primary victory, compelled the authorities to supply water on an emergency basis.

The CPB organized a demonstration on the 6th of May in Dhaka to express its solidarity with the popular uprising demanding an adequate supply of water and electricity for the people of Shanir Akhara. Demanding uninterrupted power supply and sufficient water for the city people, CPB leaders said that they will not tolerate any threatening moves against the leaders and activist of the Shanir Akhra uprising.

Presided over by CPB Dhaka committee president, the meeting was addressed by CPB central and City leaders.

Accusing the government, the CPB leaders said that over the last four years the BNP-Jamat government has done nothing to resolve the electricity and water crisis. In recent years, the government was busy with increasing the salaries and benefits for the MPs and Ministers.

CPB Protests against the Torture of Garment Workers and Urges to Save the Industry

The Communist Party of Bangladesh seriously protested against continuous torture of garment workers and called on the garment factory owners to fulfill their just demands immediately. In a press statement Party President Manzurul Ahasn Khan and General Secretary Mujahidul Islam said that since many years the garment factory owners have been operating their factories by violating traditional labor law, international law, the ILO charter as well as basic human rights. The workers face insufficient safety at their workplace, irregular and badly paid salaries for a long time. This suffering heavily ignited workers anger, which resulted in a mass labor uprising in Ashulia-EPZ-Savar and Sripur industrial area, they added.

Taking advantage of the absence of trade union rights in the garment sector, some vested interests are making the situation complicated. Killings of workers and criminal initiative to hide the dead bodies also made the situation more difficult. Moreover the garment factory owners blamed workers, ignoring process of negotiation with the striking workers.

CPB leaders demanded the immediate release of arrested workers, re-starting production at closed factories, compensation for killed and injured workers and fulfilling the just demands of garment workers.

--From the May 2006 edition of the Monthly Bulletin of the Communist Party of Bangladesh