Although stone crushers help provide a key raw material for construction in Bangladesh, these workers have long been overlooked when it comes to ensuring fair wages and suitable working conditions, according to industry people.

On the other hand, stone traders have made a fortune over the years as the price of construction aggregates has been increasing in line with the country's rapid urbanisation, they said.

Azizar Rahman, a stone crusher who works at the Burimari land port in Patgram upazila of Lalmonirhat, said his wages have remained the same at Tk 400 per day throughout his 15-year-long career..

"Considering the amount of labour we put in to crush stone, our wages should be Tk 1,000 daily," he added.

And in addition to the poor pay, stone crushers face various health hazards in their task.

For example, some workers contract a type of lung disease called silicosis by breathing in tiny bits of silica, a common mineral found in sand, quartz and many other types of rock.

"We cannot even pay for treatment due to our meagre pay. No one cares about our welfare," said Shafiar Rahman, another local stone crusher.

According to him, stone crushing entails breaking up boulders using a hammer before running them through a grinder to produce small pieces from 8:00am to 5:00pm every day.

There are about 3,000 grinding machines in Burimari land port, employing up to 25 workers each. Overall, more than 50,000 workers are engaged in the local stone crushing business, he added.

About 37.85 lakh tonnes of stone were imported through Burimari land port in fiscal 2022-23, up by some 11.5 percent from the year prior.

Nazrul Islam, also a stone crusher at Burimari land port, said their employers do not provide the required protective equipment, such as facemasks and finger guards.

"So, many of us use makeshift solutions, such as rags for facemasks, as we cannot afford to buy our own protective gear," he added.

Islam also said that most locals working as stone crushers are forced to take the job despite being offered very low pay as the region lacks alternative industries for employment.

"We are not even hired under contract so the law cannot help us. As such, we have no choice but to accept the hard work for low pay," Islam said.

Echoing the same, Moniruzzman Monir, general secretary of the Bangladesh Sangjukta Sramik Federation in Lalmonirhat, said stone crushers are major victims of wage discrimination.

"They do not get any benefits other than pay," he added while pointing out that several meetings were held with stone traders to increase their workers' wages but to no avail.

Azmat Ali Sarkar, a stone trader at Burimari land port, said they pay low wages as there is no shortage of cheap labour in the region.

"Many even come from other areas looking for work and if they don't get employed as a stone crusher, they return home empty handed," he added.

Sarkar claimed that he did offer some protective equipment to his workers but they turned it down for being too uncomfortable or cumbersome when crushing stones.

Asked if he would consider hiking his workers' wages, Sarkar said: "There are many stone traders. If everyone increases their workers' wages, then I will too."

Similarly, Sabbir Hossain, another stone trader, said it is true that stone crushers are given low wages considering their work but this is only possible because of the high number of workers available.

Regarding disparity in earnings between crushers and traders, Hossain said it is only natural for them to try to profit by keeping costs low as they have to import stones at high prices.

Each cubic feet of crushed stone is sold for about Tk 125 to contractors from different parts of the country, he added.

Dr Nirmlendu Roy, civil surgeon of Lalmonirhat, said about 65 workers at Burimari land port died due to silicosis while 200 have been affected over the past decade.

Mohammad Sadekuzzaman, deputy director of the regional labour department of Rangpur, said the lack of official employment papers allows employers to exploit stone crushers as no legal action can be taken under the labour law.

Sadekuzzaman also said work is underway to establish a labour welfare centre for workers of Burimari land port.

"If the welfare centre is launched, workers will be aware of their rights," he added.

Nurul Islam, upazila nirbahi officer of Patgram, said they have already started activities for ensuring the health and welfare of stone crushers.

He also informed that it is true that many workers said they feel uncomfortable to wear protective masks but the issue would be addressed by raising awareness about the benefits.