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[🇧🇩] Tea Industry of Bangladesh

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[🇧🇩] Tea Industry of Bangladesh
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Tea garden workers warrant the same support as other industry labourers

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In the tapestry of Bangladesh's socio-economic landscape, tea gardens and industrial parks stand as silent pillars that uphold the lives of millions, weaving together tradition and modernity. A morning that begins with a cup of tea mirrors the soul of every Bangalee heart. Alongside, the sprawling Beximco Industrial Park symbolises industrial ambition and global competitiveness. Yet, these two worlds converge in the shared plight of labourers whose sweat fuels our economy. As we savour the warmth of tea or don garments stitched with care, do we pause to acknowledge the unseen hands shaping these moments? This is not just a narrative of labour; it is the story of Bangladesh where every worker's life is intricately woven into the fabric of national progress.

While the media's spotlight shines on the recent turmoil surrounding Beximco Industrial Park, the plight of tea garden workers of the tea estates owned and operated by National Tea Company remains woefully underreported. These crises reveal deeper structural and political issues that threaten the livelihoods of thousands and ultimately, the economic resilience of Bangladesh.

The closure of the National Tea Company due to political instability exemplifies the precarious position of marginalised workers. The sudden shutdown of Madhabpur Tea Estate in Moulvibazar has left families stranded without income or alternative employment opportunities. Sanu, a worker at the estate, paints a grim picture of this reality. With five family members, including a sick mother, he struggles to provide even the most basic meals, resorting to muri (puffed rice) and cha pata bhorta (mashed tea leaves) for sustenance. Occasionally, a tourist's tip is all that stands between his family and hunger. This tragic narrative is emblematic of countless others, yet it garners little attention because tea workers lack the platforms or influence to amplify their voices.

Meanwhile the crisis at Beximco Industrial Park dominates the headlines, as workers demand their rightful wages and reinstatement. While both cases highlight the vulnerability of workers, they also expose an unequal distribution of concern and urgency. The media's focus on high-profile industrial hubs often eclipses the struggles of those in remote areas, perpetuating a cycle of neglect for sectors like the tea industry.

Both situations underscore the need for immediate and comprehensive government intervention. The current approach of relocating displaced workers to other factories or gardens is short-sighted and counterproductive. Such measures ignore the broader implications: abandoned infrastructure, loss of industry-specific expertise, and a diminishing industrial base. The parallels with the decline of Bangladesh's sugar and jute mills are stark and cautionary. These once-thriving industries now stand as relics of mismanagement and neglect, offering lessons that must not be ignored.

Bangladesh's status as a growing economy demands prudent and proactive policies to safeguard its industries. Political instability and labour exploitation cannot become recurring narratives. The government must prioritise the reopening and stabilisation of the tea estates under the National Tea Company and Beximco Industrial Park. This involves ensuring fair wages, addressing worker grievances, and fostering an environment conducive to sustainable operations.

For tea workers, the solution lies in comprehensive industry reform. The systemic exploitation that keeps wages at starvation levels must end. The government, alongside industry stakeholders, should implement wage standardisation, social security measures, and skill development programmes. For larger industrial hubs like Beximco, the focus should be on transparent conflict resolution mechanisms, timely payment of dues, and robust labour policies that prevent future disruptions.

It is time for Bangladesh to heed the silent cries of its labour force and walk resolutely towards reform and equity. The stories of Madhabpur's tea workers and Beximco's factory labourers are not isolated, and they remind us of the delicate balance between progress and humanity. Their struggles are a clarion call for a nation striving to achieve middle-income status while ensuring that nobody is left behind. Let us not allow these crises to become forgotten tragedies; instead, let them fuel a collective resolve to create a future where every sip of tea and every stitch of cloth represents not just an industry but the dignity of those who make it possible. Advocacy groups, unions, and policymakers must work together to amplify the voices of the voiceless, ensuring that every worker, regardless of their location or industry, is afforded dignity and justice.

Rafad Asgar is research associate at Bangladesh Institute of Governance and Management (BIGM).​

Tea Garden workers are all migrant poor workers from India. Mostly Santaal ethnic indigenous people I believe.
 
Tea Garden workers are all migrant poor workers from India. Mostly Santaal ethnic indigenous people I believe.
Why do they hire Indians in our tea gardens? We have our own poor. Our poor should be given priority when the tea garden owners hire labors.
 
Why do they hire Indians in our tea gardens? We have our own poor. Our poor should be given priority when the tea garden owners hire labors.

These people have been here since British Raj times when the British set up the tea gardens (Sylhet especially) and Santaals and other adibasis (indigenous folks) were brought here by the British.

Santaal people have more ability to work in the heat for longer periods.
 

Ailing tea sector seeks lifeline

Syful Islam
Published :
Jul 20, 2025 10:31
Updated :
Jul 20, 2025 10:31

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Having sold products at lower than the production costs for years, the Bangladeshi tea industry is now experiencing severe hardship and seeks the government's policy and financial support to survive.

Bangladesh Tea Association, a body of private tea garden owners, in a recent letter to Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Ahsan H Mansur sought the assistance, saying "the industry would not survive unless the gardens are given low-cost loans".

Its Chairman Kamran T Rahman mentioned in the letter that the production cost of each kilogram of tea was Tk 260 in 2024, while the selling price was Tk 204 per kg.

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the selling price of tea was Tk 261 per kg in 2018 against the production cost of Tk 202 per kg, he said.

The garden owners have been selling tea at lower than the production costs since 2019 and "due to the price fall of tea in 2023 and 2024, their cash flow and financial capability have largely squeezed," he said.

The industry incurred losses of Tk 4.0 billion due to the strike enforced by the workers in the peak season for the tea sector in August 2022.

The then prime minister raised the daily cash wage by nearly 42 per cent to Tk 170 from Tk 120 to help resolve labour unrest.

The daily total wage for each worker, since August 2024, stood at Tk 512, and the monthly amount was Tk 15,355, Mr Rahman mentioned.

In almost every auction, a large volume of tea remains unsold, and their prices further fall in the next round.

In 2024, the country grew some 93 million kilograms of tea, down from around 103 million kg in the previous year.

"Tea production in Bangladesh is much higher than the demand. Thus prices are lower than expectations," Mr Rahman told The Financial Express.

He put forward some demands to the governor as the industry is facing a severely hostile situation.

These include abolishing the provision of internal credit risk rating (ICRR) in case of the tea industry as the producers have no control on fixing tea prices and the prices are being fixed through auctions, keeping unpaid loans in a separate account and realising them by 2038, and creating a revolving fund of Tk 45 billion for providing loans.

He said Bangladesh Krishi Bank in early June sent some loan proposals to the central bank for approval.

However, until mid-July, the central bank did not approve them. Thus, the tea gardens are not getting loans, which caused labour unrest.

Mr Rahman also pointed out that due to the acute fund crisis caused by the sales of tea at lower than production costs, over 80 gardens have been failing to make payments for workers' provident funds for up to 26 months.

Some 20 gardens are failing to make regular payments of wages, bonuses, and instalments of due payments, while five have shut production.

According to Mr Rahman, some 2.0 million people are directly and indirectly involved in the tea industry.

The lives and livelihoods of some 0.5 million tea workers and their dependents will face severe problems if the tea gardens are forced to shut production due to fund constraints.

The country will have to meet the demand by importing tea worth Tk 20 billion annually if production in the local tea industry stops, he wrote.

"Any unemployment in the tea gardens may cause social unrest in that area," he told The Financial Express.

He said the tea industry is "neglected" by the government and needs proper attention to survive.​
 

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