Distinguished Professor Dr. Ali Riaz has been quoted in the German newspaper Die Tageszeitung (TAZ) and the Swiss newsweekly Die WochenZeitung (WoZ) on Bangladeshi politics and the ongoing protests by the textile workers.
Speaking to TAZ, Riaz said recent protests by political parties spearheaded by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) began in the summer of 2022, when there were sharp price increases. Referring to the protest by opposition political parties demanding the resignation of Sheikh Hasina’s government, he said, “It is not about whether the BNP is an alternative to the Awami League. It is about restoring the fundamental right to free and fair elections. Since 2014, there has not been an election in Bangladesh that could be described as free and fair.”
About the strikes of the workers in the Readymade Garments sector, Riaz said, “The cost of living has risen sharply. This is why workers in the textile and clothing industry are also fighting for a living wage after the government failed to fulfil their demands.”
He further commented on the strikes and demonstrations of the workers to the WoZ, saying, “The cost of living has risen sharply. Low-income earners such as those in the clothing industry are particularly affected.”
Riaz commented that the rise in inflation, not only as a result of the pandemic, but also the Russian war of aggression. “The government has invested large sums in infrastructure projects, the costs of which have exploded.”
