Bangladesh’s opposition leader and Jamaat-e-Islami chief Dr. Shafiqur Rahman said workers’ earnings are falling due to a nationwide fuel shortage. Speaking on Saturday at the Bangladesh Workers Welfare Federation’s district and metropolitan leaders’ conference in Dhaka, he claimed transport workers wait three to five hours daily for limited fuel, losing valuable work time. He added that fuel stations are receiving only half their usual supply, worsening workers’ financial hardship.

Rahman alleged that the government’s policies have deepened the crisis and that opposition voices are being silenced in parliament. He also criticized the new banking law, saying it hands public deposits to “bank robbers.” Addressing labor leaders, he urged them to continue fighting for workers’ rights peacefully and to avoid unrest that could harm both owners and workers. He called on the government to establish specialized hospitals in labor-intensive areas and ensure education for workers’ children.

Jamaat’s deputy leader A.N.M. Shamsul Islam echoed the need for dialogue-based solutions to labor issues, saying workers have long been exploited for political gain.