Leaders of Sramik Karmachari Oikya Parishad have called on the ruling Awami League government to withdraw the Essential Services Bill 2023 placed in Jatiya Sangsad on April 6.

They made the call at a rally in the capital on Saturday, stating that the bill would curb the workers’ rights to call a strike.

SKOP – a platform of 14 labour rights bodies – organised the event in front of the National Press Club.

Joint convener of the organisation Abdul Kader Hawlader chaired the programme.

In his address, Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal president Anwar Hossain said that the government had placed the bill in the parliament to stop movements by the labour rights bodies in favour of their demands.

Bangladesh Trade Union Sangha president Chowdhury Ashikul Alam said that according to the labour law workers had rights to call strike in favour of their demands.

Labour leader Abdul Kader Hawlader asked the government to withdraw the bill immediately, or else they would go on a tougher movement including strike to compel the government to withdraw the bill.

The SKOP will hold a view exchange programme with others labour rights organisations on May 27 to finalise its next course of actions, he said.

Labour leaders Mahbubul Alam, Razequzzaman Ratan, Saifuzzaman Badsha, Naimul Ahsan Jewel, Quamrul Ahsan, Badal Khan, Shamim Ara and others spoke at the rally.

The rally was followed by a protest procession that paraded through different city roads.