Capitalism Murders Factory Workers in Bangladesh. Communist Class Solidarity Will Smash All Borders
BENGALURU (India), July 10— “As long as these profit-hungry monsters rule the world, workers’ lives mean nothing to them,” reported a Red Flag reader and long-time friend about the fire that took the lives of scores of workers in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. “They are disposable. We need to bury this system of profit.”
At least 52 workers were killed, many of them children, and more were injured as flames raged through the six-story Hashem Foods factory where key exits were locked. Eight factory officials have been arrested for murder. Capitalism’s relentless drive for profits creates deadly working conditions in factories in Bangladesh and elsewhere.
Our collective of garment workers in Bengaluru contacted this comrade. A comrade from Delhi who also speaks Bengali helped to host our garment collective with our friend in Bangladesh.
Six comrades in Bengaluru participated in the meeting with the comrade from Delhi and a comrade in Dhaka. This meeting was smaller than usual because many comrades and their friends and family are still facing the menace of coronavirus. However, this group represented many more as we are continuing the distribution of Red Flag and a summary of the ICWP manifesto “Mobilize the Masses for Communism.”
“This is an attack on our class brothers and sisters, we must help them in whatever way we can,” said a comrade garment worker. All the comrades agreed. Our regular Red Flag network was put in action immediately.
We went door to door in the extremely impoverished area where we live. We went with pictures of the Bangladesh fire and a sign saying, “Capitalism kills, we need Communist Revolution – ICWP.” People opened their wallets with whatever they had. Not a single family refused contribution, they felt it was touching their heart.
This action built tremendous solidarity with the workers in Bangladesh. Bangalore workers related to this because it happens in their lives every day. Our comrade in Dhaka was more committed and he decided to take extra Red Flags to his coworkers. He promised to write about the condition of the workers in Dhaka, many of whom work in garment factories.
A comrade talked in the meeting about the importance of the Red Flag and how we can grow quickly. She said that the bosses are constantly creating opportunities for us to advance and build a solid base for communism. The coronavirus pandemic has devastated the working class. Millions of our class family have lost jobs. Capitalist hospitals have become killing fields. The masses are fearful and angry at the same time.
Another comrade said that in her factory, she has met an NGO that is an umbrella group of garment workers in the Philippines, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand. This is a liberal group, but she met some workers directly in those countries and has started distributing RF. She met a textile worker in Durban, South Africa, where a devastating fire destroyed many workers in May 2021.
We are learning that in a small but significant way, we are smashing borders that have kept the workers divided. Communism will have no borders and no nations. Workers themselves will control the workplaces and guarantee their safety. When an emergency arises, we’ll go directly to help them or send the actual resources they need without money being involved.
The struggle to smash borders is essential in our fight for the communist revolution because all other groups in one way or another push nationalism. We believe that mobilizing the masses for communism must be our number one priority. We are starting a regular study group and will reach out to our friends in several garment factories.
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