NewAge Longreads

- Bangladesh Garments Workers Solidarity by Taslima Akhter THE global recognition of the eight-hour workday did not come easily. It was won through bloody struggles, mass uprisings, and the sacrifice of countless lives. Behind it lies the historic labour movement that emerged 140 years ago in the city of Chicago in the United States, demanding recognition of the eight-hour working day. At the time, workers were forced to labour for 14 to 16 hours a day, sometimes even m

Workers without safety gears carry bricks on shoulders at a brick kiln at Amin Bazar in Dhaka. — New Age/ Sony Ramany by Rumana Huque EVERY year, as the first of May arrives with the red of workers’ flags and the sound of marches, Bangladesh pauses to honour its labour force. It is through the hands of its workers that the country has stitched its place on the global economic map. According to the 2024 Labour Force Survey by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, the labour for

Crab workers at a farm in Satkhira. — Marzia Prova by Marzia Prova BY THE time I arrived at Porakatla village in Shyamnagar in the afternoon, the heat of the sun had begun to ease. Yet Shyamnagar in Satkhira District remains intensely hot because of the salinity in the water. On top of that, electricity is unavailable for nearly 14 to 17 hours within every 24-hour period. At the three fuel pumps, there were long queues of motorcycles and farmers waiting. Sitting in Dhaka, suc

by Kazi Md Abdullah Al Borhan Rizvi THE world is changing rapidly. Technological advancements — automation, artificial intelligence, and robotics — have ushered in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. This transformation is not limited to industry; it is reshaping labour markets, economies, and social structures. In such a time, International Workers’ Day gains renewed significance as it highlights the rights, dignity, and security of workers. A crucial question arise