Tea workers rally in Sylhet demands unpaid wages, protection for estates

Hundreds of tea workers and union leaders gathered in a solidarity rally outside Sylhet Cricket Stadium on Saturday (30 November), demanding immediate payment of overdue wages and measures to safeguard the struggling tea estates.

Organised by the Sylhet district unit of the Bangladesh Tea Workers Federation, the rally spotlighted months of hardship endured by workers from estates including Lakkatura, Kewachara, and Daldali—run by the National Tea Company (NTC).

Leaders revealed that for the past three months, wages have not been paid, leaving families in financial despair.

The crisis began on 5 August, following the fall of the previous government, but no substantial actions have been taken to resolve it, said one leader. Despite multiple protests and formal appeals through the district administration, the workers have only received hollow promises, they claimed.

Union representatives lamented the systemic inequality faced by tea workers, many of whom remain among the most marginalised communities in Bangladesh. "The fall of the previous regime gave us hope for change, but our struggles have only deepened," a union leader said during the rally.

The speakers accused authorities of neglecting their responsibilities to protect workers' rights and maintain the functionality of tea estates. Tea workers' leaders warned that if their demands are not met promptly, the movement would be intensified across all 22 tea estates in Sylhet.