Bangladesh wants to free labor groups from parties

DHAKA (Reuters) - The head of Bangladesh's army-backed interim government urged labor groups in a May Day address on Tuesday to free themselves from the yoke of political parties.

"The labor organizations must free themselves from domination by political parties and should try to achieve their respective rights," Fakhruddin Ahmed told a May day function.

Fakhruddin said his government wanted the trades unions delinked from parties which often used them to achieve their political goals.

"You must uphold your prestige and should not become tools of political parties any more," he added.

Labor organizations observed May Day on Tuesday with meetings and seminars but there were none of the traditional street rallies banned under the current state of emergency.

In a statement late on Monday, the government had reminded citizens that all street campaigns were forbidden under the emergency, imposed in January following deadly political violence that forced the authorities to suspend a scheduled national election and ban all political activities.

Government law and information adviser Mainul Husein said on Sunday the authorities wanted to free politics in educational institutions and industries from party control.