DAILY DAWN
27th January 1957
Mujib demands fair deal for labourers
DACCA, Jan 26: The East Pakistan Commerce, Industries and Labour Minister, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, urged upon the industrialists and employers here to give a fair deal to their labourers. He added: “The working classes are entitled by right to reasonable amenities and comforts to be determined from time to time on economic considerations. It will not do if attention is only paid when things have gone wrong. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who was speaking as the chief guest at the annual dinner of the United Chamber of Commerce and Industries at Hotel Shahbagh last night, said it was time that a positive bias was given to the present attitude. “One has to co-operate with others for mutual benefits and the sooner that is realised, the better,” he added. Recalling the state of affairs, which retarded industrial progress in the province so long, Mr. Rahman said that the backlog “cannot be overcome overnight.” He said that proper use of available resources here could remove the “ill-balance and lopsidedness in our national economy” which was due to more industrial progress of West Pakistan. Mr. Rahman appealed to the industrialists to extend active co-operation with the Government in their efforts to improve the condition of the people by industrialising the province. He also urged them to help the Government to root out corruptions in all walks of life. He assured the industrialists that his Government would do their utmost for the prosperity and development of the country and improvement of the condition of the masses. The Minister said that East Pakistan had suffered for nine long years from “maladministration and corruptions” which dogged its progress. He said that the present Government thought that time had come when the demand of the people here should be fulfilled. Immense injustice, he added, were done to them during this years. Appealing for the co-operation of the industrialists he said, “East Pakistan did not want from the centre more than what they deserved.” They want justice for this wing of Pakistan, he added. – APP.