In January 2025, Michael and Josh travelled to Dhaka in Bangladesh as part of a solidarity visit to meet with workers and union leaders. This followed a solidarity visit to Australia in 2023 by Taslima and Rupali of Bangladesh Garment Workers Solidarity (BGWS) as part of an Australia-Asia Worker Links (AAWL) program coinciding with the tenth anniversary of the Rana Plaza murders were over 1100 workers were murdered in a building collapse.

The 2025 solidarity visit was entirely self-funded by Michael and Josh during their annual leave from RAFFWU. That said, they took the opportunity to share solidarity and stories from RAFFWU and our members.

The visit followed a major uprising by student and worker activists in July and August 2024. The uprising began about special treatment in public position selection for descendants of the freedom fighters in Bangladesh’s 1971 War of Independence. It spread quickly following violent repression to include many activists across the working class. The crackdown against the actions led to around 2000 murders by goons and police. Despite this, the irrepressible spirit of millions of voices overthrew the fascist regime and the autocratic Prime Minister fled the country.

Since August a special interim government with broad support has been charting a course towards a democratic election in the coming year. It was in this context that Josh and Michael visited for a week in January 2025. Josh had previously visited Bangladesh on solidarity visits, with AAWL, in 2014. They met with a number of unions including the Garment Workers Trade Union Centre (GWTUC), Bangladesh Garment Workers Solidarity (BGWS), Garment Workers Liberation Movement (GWLM) and the Garment Workers Unity Forum (GWUF). In each meeting they learned more about the situation of garment workers in Bangladesh, the events of the 2024 uprising, the involvement of students and workers, and the hopes of workers as they emerge from a fascist regime.

While the Australian Government has expressed support for the interim government, it should not be lost on anyone that the Australian Government for many years – both Labor and Coalition – actively supported the previous fascist regime which brutally oppressed workers. Similarly, major Australian retailers such as Kmart, Target, Big W, Mosaic and many others supported the fascist regime in its suppression of wages and conditions in garment factories. It is because of this, despite the efforts of thousands of unionists, that all democratic and genuine workplace unions aren’t “registered” and those real unions must fight every step of the way for their members.

We know this only too well in RAFFWU. A common theme from all unions was the difficulties faced organising workers when the Government, employers and fake yellow unions conspire together. We explained that in Australia the only real yellow union is SDA which works closely with employers to smash worker rights and has cost workers billions of dollars.

When it came to the uprising, many workers joined calls to action as students and workers were murdered in the streets. The city of Dhaka is covered in uprising graffiti some 6 months on. Dozens of garment workers were murdered by cops, militia and other goons. We heard how bodies were incinerated in trucks and we met with mothers and widows of slain activists. We met a man blinded by shrapnel and met children who witnessed executions on the street. Those we met explained their hopes as:

  • The end of the fascist regime with free elections and an updated constitution;
  • The end of discriminatory selection for government appointments;
  • Democratic and corruption-free arrangements for the registration of factory unions;
  • Lifting of wages to a living wage for all (currently garment workers earn less than $6 per day); and
  • Holding to account of all those cops, goons, militia, politicians and others who murdered and assaulted activists in July and August 2024.

Obviously there are many other demands and dreams of students, workers and others arising from the events of 2024. All this requires seismic change which is difficult to comprehend. A huge number of the 300 members of parliament in the fascist regime were garment factory owners. One of the responses by the bosses to the uprising was to target thousands of activists and, despite the institution of an interim government, many union leaders have had legal cases filed against them by bosses for their participation in the actions of 2024. This is one way that capital, including the massive international buyers and retailers, try to maintain some stability in what is the cheapest labour market in the world. They target union leaders – including workers earning a measly $5 per day – with dozens of complex legal cases which could see them jailed for standing against a fascist regime and its murderous thugs.

Criminalising and controlling free, fair democratic unions has always been a tool of capital and those it controls – such as the major political parties in Australia. This is why SDA and employers hate RAFFWU, this is why Labor and the ACTU attack the CFMEU and this is why multi-billionaire factory owners in Bangladesh target union leaders organising the world’s lowest paid. We call for the immediate removal of all legal cases filed against union leaders in Bangladesh arising from their participation in the uprising movement. Major international retailers and buyers should be ashamed their money and power is being used to target those who have led the historic changes over 2024.

Josh and Michael also heard from women union leaders, student leaders and other activists that despite their critical leading role in the uprising, powerful men were organising against women participation. They spoke of their involvement being disappeared and the main political leaders minimising their involvement both historically and in the present as a new political paradigm is being formed. Similarly, concerns were raised that powerful international actors, such as the US, Indian and other governments were continuing to manipulate the political process for their own ends.

Despite all this the sense of hope was undeniable. RAFFWU will be exploring ways we can share the experiences of Bangladeshi workers with members and how we can build genuine solidarity based in action. We send our thanks to all the workers, students and leaders who spent time with Josh and Michael. We look forward to working together to strengthen our connection and help Bangladeshi workers achieve the respect and dignity we all deserve in our work. May the workers of the world unite!

Further Reading

To read more about the aftermath of the murders in the 2013 Rana Plaza collapse and the 2012 Tazreen Fashions fire, see Dr Colin Long’s article here: https://jacobin.com/2014/06/after-rana-plaza/

To read more about the uprising see Taslima Akhter’s articles here:

https://thegreatwave.thedailystar.net/news/july-uprising-in-the-lives-of-garment-workers

and

https://www.thedailystar.net/opinion/views/news/workers-must-be-allowed-speak-3705286

A report on the visit to Australia by Taslima and Rupali can be found here:

https://raffwu.org.au/bangladesh-garment-workers-under-attack-by-bosses-government/

and in our 2024 newsletter on pages 28-9 here:

https://raffwu.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/RAFFWU-Action-Summer-2024-Newsletter.pdf