Anti-globalisation groups and left-leaning parties of the country continued demonstrations and processions yesterday against the on-going key ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) that opened on Wednesday at the Mexican resort of Cancun.
Pressing their five-point demands, the National Garment Workers Federation, a platform of garment workers, brought out a procession carrying red flags from the city’s Muktangon area it ended at the Paltan crossing after parading through the GPO, Baitul Mukarram, Gulistan and Nur Hossain Square.
They demanded duty and quota-free access for Bangladesh garments to the international market.
They also demanded that the welfare of the employees working for sub-contracting factories of the multinational companies be ensured under corporate social responsibility.
Their other demands include flexible rules of origin and free movement of labour forces.
Earlier, a rally was presided over by the President of the Federation Quazi Mohammad Ali and addressed, among others, by Secretary Amirul Haq Amin and central leaders Shahida Sarkar, Mujibur Rahman Pintu, Nurun Nahar and Shafiya Parveen.
An a protest rally, a coalition of four left-leaning parties yesterday termed the Cancun meeting a gathering of looters.
Presided over by the Coordinator of four left parties Jonaid Shafi, the rally was addressed, among others, by central leaders Nazrul Islam, Moshrefa Mishu and Advocate Abdus Salam.
Karmajibi Nari, an initiative of working women, arranged a demonstration in front of the National Museum.
Speakers at the meeting vowed to wage a struggle against a handful of multinational companies to make global trading regime fair, now heavily tilted towards the industrialised world.
They demanded relaxation of the rules of origin and removing non-tariff barriers to put the country’s apparel industry on track, a sector that employes about 16 lakhs workers.
They also suggested amendment to the GATS agreement, saying the world trade negotiators should ensure free movement of semi-skilled and skilled labour forces of the least developed countries under Mode-4 of the GATS accord.
But urban service sectors like water, health, electricity, education and telecommunications should be kept out of liberalisation, they suggested.
Selina Shelley of Make Trade Fair Alliance, Ziaul Haque Mukta of Action Aid, Sharmin Kabir of Karmajibi Nari, Farida Akhtar of Sammilitiya Nari Shamaj and Aminur Rasul of Supro spoke, among others, at the meeting which was presided over by President of Karmajibi Nari Shirin Akhtar.
As part of the on-going programme directed against the Cancun summit, the Communist Party of Bangladesh will arrange a demonstration meeting at 4 pm today in front of the party’s central office.
President and Secretary of CPB Manjurul Ahsan Khan and Mujahidul Islam Selim in a joint statement yesterday urged party leaders and activists to take part in the demonstration to make it a success.
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