‘We want land rights, Tk 600 daily wage’

The first national conference of the Tea Workers Trade Union Center was held in Moulvibazar's Sreemangal yesterday, with a renewed call for land rights, increased wages, and an end to discrimination against the tea garden community.

The daylong event, held at the Zilla Parishad auditorium, opened with a cultural programme showcasing the heritage, struggle, and resistance of tea workers through music, recitation, and drama.

The conference began with the hoisting of the national and organisational flags.

The national flag was raised by Mujahidul Islam Selim, former president of the Communist Party of Bangladesh, while Sabuj Tanti, convener of the Tea Workers Trade Union Center, hoisted the organisation's flag.

The formal inauguration was announced by organiser Manisha Wahid.

A procession followed, drawing hundreds of tea workers and students from across Sylhet, Moulvibazar, Habiganj, and Sreemangal. They carried banners, festoons, and chanted slogans, demanding recognition of their rights and fulfilment of their long-standing demands.

In his address, Mujahidul Islam Selim said the tea worker community remains "one of the most deprived and oppressed" in Bangladesh, despite decades of struggle. He urged the government to grant land rights to tea workers, citing available land outside the tea estates that could be allocated.

"During Ershad's time, we won some rights through movement. What is stopping the current government from doing the same?" he asked, while demanding the implementation of a 10-point charter of demands that includes a minimum daily wage of Tk 600.

The conference was presided over by Sabuj Tanti and moderated by SM Shuvo.

Other speakers included Dr Nazia Chowdhury, professor at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology; Sohrab Hasan, joint editor of Prothom Alo; Jolly Talukder of the Garments Workers Trade Union Center; journalist Mahbub Alam; and several tea garden leaders and workers.

Speakers called for the inclusion of the tea workers' demands in the manifestos of political parties ahead of the next national election.

They said land rights and a fair wage of Tk 600 are no longer just demands, they are necessities.

They also stressed the need for improved housing and education for families of tea workers.

Organisers said the conference marks the beginning of a broader movement aimed at mobilising the collective strength of tea workers in their fight for dignity and justice.