This land, soaked in the sweat of laborers, this soil stained with their blood—here, an independent nation named Bangladesh was born. The same country that sacrificed countless lives for its freedom is now writing a new history of exploitation. Standing in this so-called civilized society of the 21st century, when we see a laborer’s life torn apart by bullets and sticks, it makes you wonder: did we really dream of an equitable society? The dream that promised equality and justice has now been shattered by bullets. In the eyes of the state, laborers are still not considered human; they remain merely “laborers,” a part of the production machinery.

This grim reality has once again come to the forefront with the labor movement at Evergreen Products Factory BD Limited (Hong Kong). The workers wanted their rightful dues. Their demands were for an end to illegal layoffs, the reopening of the closed factory, and 23 other demands. Were these demands too much to ask? Don’t the laborers who keep the factory running and drive the country’s economy deserve a modicum of their rightful demands? Instead of a response to their logical demands, they were met with brutality. As a result of the joint forces’ indiscriminate firing, a young laborer named Habibur Rahman lost his life, and approximately 12 others were shot.

Habibur Rahman, an ordinary young man from Nilphamari, had a dream in his eyes. He only wanted what was fair for his labor. What was his crime? His crime was that, as a human being, he demanded his rights from the state. For a state that cannot honor its most vital driving force, is a laborer’s life cheaper than the value of the goods produced? This question repeatedly comes to mind. The harsh reality is, yes, in this country, a laborer’s life is indeed cheap. Because when laborers’ blood is shed, there is no justice, no accountability.

The main duty of the law enforcement agencies was to create an environment for discussion between the workers and the factory owners and to solve the problem peacefully. But instead of doing so, they opened fire on the workers. This incident is not an isolated one. It’s like a repetition of history. In the past, under different governments, laborers have been victims of law enforcement’s bullets. This bloody history proves once again that a laborer’s life is trivial to the state. Can a state that fails to protect the lives and property of its people truly be called a people’s state?

The value of a factory and its manufactured goods should be far less than the value of a laborer’s life. But in reality, this does not happen. It is because of this discrimination and neglect that laborers repeatedly lose their lives, and these murders go unpunished. Last year, between September and November 2024, three laborers were killed while protesting for various fair demands, including salary increases, increment raises, attendance bonuses, and lunch allowances. Although the specific number of cases filed and workers imprisoned during these three months is not available, it is clear that thousands of laborers have been harassed and many have been jailed on charges of involvement in labor unrest and movements.

During the interim government’s tenure, the plight of workers in this industry has exceeded all previous records. Events like job termination, factory closures, lawsuits, imprisonment, and the murder of laborers have made their lives even more miserable. The fortunes of the working class have not changed, even under the leadership of those who organized a mass uprising with the aspiration of building a democracy and an equitable society. There is no job security for them, no proper working environment. Countless factories have been shut down, and there are no opportunities for new employment. And when laborers try to speak out against factory closures, they are attacked, sued, and even shot.

An absurd kind of discrimination is ongoing in this country in the name of democracy. We have seen that when a group of protestors takes to the streets with their demands, they are welcomed with cold water. But when laborers take to the streets with demands for their livelihoods, they are met with bullets. This double standard proves whose interests the state really protects. By not taking strict measures to suppress mob violence while attacking laborers, the government is proving that it is not a government that protects the interests of workers, but rather one that protects the interests of capitalists.

A laborer’s blood is being shed, but the path to their rights is still not smooth. Will this grim reality not change? Will the state not learn to respect its most crucial driving force—its laborers—as human beings? As long as this question remains unanswered, the struggle of the laborers will continue, and their blood will keep flowing. This struggle is not just for wages or bonuses; this struggle is for survival, for living with dignity. As long as this state continues to be unjust to its laborers, this silent genocide will continue. And the only way to stop this silent genocide is through the unified struggle of the laborers.

Written by: Khairul Mamun Mintu, Law and Bargaining Secretary, Bangladesh Garment and Sweater Workers Trade Union Center.