Tea Workers Must Be Paid Fair Wages: Tea Board Chairman

The Chairman of the Bangladesh Tea Board, SUP MD Major General Sheikh Mohammad Sarwar Hossain, emphasized that tea workers and garden owners must work together for the development of tea gardens. He stressed that tea workers must be paid their fair wages. The income earned by tea workers through their labor supports their families, and therefore, he urged garden owners not to delay or withhold their wages.

Addressing the workers, he said, "Your livelihood depends on working in the tea gardens. Therefore, I urge you to work responsibly, keeping the interests of the owners in mind. The tea you produce is sold by the owners, which not only sustains your families but also brings profit to the owners."

He further stated that the government has taken various initiatives to advance the tea industry. Efforts are underway to resolve all issues within the tea sector as quickly as possible. "I believe that by working together, we can address all minor issues. This will benefit everyone involved with the tea gardens," he added. He also warned that if the welfare of workers is compromised, the authorities will not hesitate to take action against the gardens. He called on garden owners to take more effective measures for the welfare of tea workers, which would contribute to both the workers' development and the resolution of all garden-related issues.

These remarks were made on Wednesday (June 25) during a workshop organized by the Project Development Unit of the Bangladesh Tea Board in Sreemangal and Moulvibazar, held at the Sylhet Club Limited hall in the Barshala area. The workshop focused on "The Current Situation of the Bangladesh Tea Industry and Steps Taken for Its Development."

The Sylhet tea garden owners and businessmen expressed their gratitude to the Tea Board Chairman for the recent increase in tea prices.

The workshop was attended by Afzal Rashid Chowdhury, M.A. Zaman Suhel, Atiqur Rahman, Rinku Chakraborty, Md. Shahabullah Sarker, Mohsin Reza Ishtiaq, Noman Haider Chowdhury, Mufti Md. Hannan, Md. Taslim Hossain, Md. Kamruzzaman, Md. Mujibur Rahman, Md. Abdus Samad, Md. Zahirul Haque, Shah Md. Abdul Halim, Md. Musleh Uddin, and ASM Saiful Hasan.