Workers Party of Bangladesh

History

WPB was founded in 1980 by the Bangladesh Communist Party (Leninist), Revolutionary Communist League, Majdur Party and another group. Amal Sen was the founding general secretary.

In 1984, the party split in two factions, both using the name WPB. One group was led by Amal Sen and Nazrul Islam. The other was led by the current president of the party, Rashed Khan Menon. In 1992, they reunited.

The party participated in the programs of the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports in 2006.

In November 2008, the Workers Party protested the removal of a baul statue by the Roads and Highways Department, and Civil Aviation Authority, Bangladesh following pressure from Islamists near the Zia International Airport.

In 2010, the Haider Akbar Khan Rono-led fraction of the Workers Party of Bangladesh (reconstituted) merged with the Communist Party of Bangladesh.

WPB joined the Grand Alliance in 2014, but the party leadership openly questioned the direction of the subsequent 14 Party Alliance after the 2014 election. Rashed Khan Menon was made the Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism in the Sheikh Hasina led cabinet.

On 26 May 2016, Workers Party of Bangladesh called for the parliamentary membership of Salim Osman to be cancelled for insulting Shyamal Kanti Bhakta, the principal of Piyar Sattar Latif High School.

In the 2018 Bangladesh elections, it contested as part of the Grand Alliance along with the Bangladesh Awami League. Five candidates of the Workers Party used the election symbol of the Awami League, the boat. The candidates were Fazle Hossain Badsha from Rajshahi-2, Mustafa Lutfullah from Satkhira-1, Rashed Khan Menon from Dhaka-8, Tipu Sultan from Barisal-3, and Yeasin Ali from Thakurgaon-3. Three candidates of the party contested using the hammer symbol of the workers party. They were Ahsan Ullah from Comilla-8, Haji Bashirul Alam from Cox's Bazar-1, and Jahirul Haque Tutul from Barisal-2. The Workers Party won four seats in the Jatiya Sangsad in the 2018 Bangladeshi general election. Lutfun Nesa Khan was elected from the reserved women's seat from the Workers Party. The winners were Fazle Hossain Badsha from Rajshahi-2, Mustafa Lutfullah from Satkhira-1, and Rashed Khan Menon from Dhaka-8. The Awami League did not include them in the new cabinet which only had Awami League politicians.

In February 2021, the Workers Party criticised Awami League for election policy and for not taking a hardline against religion-based political parties. In December, the party asked the government to send former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia abroad for medical treatment.

Election results

Jatiya Sangsad elections

Notes

References

References

1. "Registration of Political Parties". [[Bangladesh Election Commission]].
2. (21 April 2014). "Workers Party's 9th congress in Rajshahi on April 24". The Daily Star.
3. "Chinese envoy expects stability in Bangladesh". [[New Age (Bangladesh)]].
4. "Mourning day observed to protest killings in Phulbari". The Daily Star.
5. (2 November 2008). "More protests against removal of sculptures". The Daily Star.
6. (27 February 2010). "CPB, Workers Party faction merge". The Daily Star.
7. (1 January 2014). "Workers Party announces election manifesto". [[The Independent (Bangladesh).
8. (29 November 2014). "Workers Party criticises 14-party alliance". The Daily Star.
9. (6 January 2019). "Hasina chooses only party fellows". The Daily Star.
10. (28 February 2016). "Workers Party for scrapping Salim Osman's JS membership". The Daily Star.
11. (10 December 2018). "5 Workers Party candidates to use 'boat' symbol". The Daily Star.
12. link. [[Ekushey TV]]
13. (11 July 2019). "JS would set bad example if gas price hike not discussed". The Daily Star.
14. Bhattacharjee, Partha Pratim. (14 February 2021). "Workers Party 'disappointed' with govt". The Daily Star.
15. (4 December 2021). "Send Khaleda abroad for treatment". The Daily Star.