The historic May Day will be observed in Bangladesh on Thursday as elsewhere across the world .

May Day, also known as the International Workers' Solidarity Day, commemorates the historic uprising of working people in Chicago, USA at the height of a prolonged fight for an eight-hour workday in the late nineteenth century.The day is a public holiday in Bangladesh.This year, the theme of the day in Bangladesh is “Workers and owners united; Lets rebuild this country anew."Newspapers will publish supplements while radio and television channels will air special programmes highlighting the significance of the day.Different socio-cultural organizations, political parties chalked out various programmes to observe the day.On May 1, 1886, 10 workers were killed when police opened fire on a demonstration in the US city of Chicago near Hay Market demanding an eight-hour working day instead of a 12-hour shift. On the height of agitation, the authorities had to accept the workers' demand and the eight-hour day has been introduced universally.On July 14, 1889, an international workers' rally in Paris declared May 1 as the International Workers’ Solidarity Day in recognition of the Chicago workers' sacrifice and achievement and since 1890, the day has been observed globally as the International Workers’ Solidarity Day.

The day has been observed globally as the International Workers’ Solidarity Day since 1890.Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus issued a message ahead of the day.The Chief Adviser said the significance of May Day in advancing the country's economy through strong worker-employer relations is immense.This year’s theme—“Workers and owners united; Lets rebuild this country anew”—is especially meaningful for our nation’s sustainable development, he said.“Workers and employers complement one another and I firmly believe that their joint efforts can build a strong, self-reliant, and prosperous Bangladesh,” he said.Behind the progress of every sector in our country—whether it’s the garment industry, agriculture, manufacturing, construction, transport, or technology—lies the dedication, intelligence, and hard work of both workers and employers, said the Chief Adviser adding,  “To rebuild the nation, we must strengthen the environment of unity, mutual respect, and trust.

If we continue the spirit of unity and cooperation, then the dream of a new Bangladesh—after the uprising led people including students and workers in July-August—will no longer remain just a dream, but will become a reality.”

“I believe that the partnership between workers and employers will further accelerate the progress of the country,” he said.