Madhupur rubber gardens: Where thousands collect leaves for livelihood

Much to the surprise of many, a staggering 5,000 women make a living by collecting leaves from the rubber gardens of Madhupur of Tangail. 

Most of them earn Tk600-Tk1,000 a day. Some make more than the amounts often. 

Residents of the areas adjoining the forests, they mainly work in groups led by several women. The team leaders hire leave collectors, pay them and market the leaves collected.  

During a recent visit to a rubber garden in Chandpur of Madhupur, TheReport.live got to meet Parvin, a team leader who has four female and two male workers. 

“Selling leaves to local market is the only source of my income,” she said.   

Parvin’s husband left her and she can’t even do laborious work. Moreover, she has to children to take care of.  

Upon collecting the leaves, these are loaded on specially modified vehicles that are usually seen in hilly areas. A vehicle full of leaves cost Tk400. 

A team of five workers can load as many vehicles. The customers resell the leaves at double the price.

The cultivation of banana, corn, pineapple, lemon, guava and other local fruits has increased over the years, thanks to the weather and geographical situation. 

Horticulture is expanding in the area. 

Most of the gardens are blanketed with leaves in a bid to avert losses. 

In Madhupur, there are five rubber gardens, with the one in Pirgachha being the biggest, spanning over 3,010 acres of acres. 

Bangladesh Forest Industries Development Corporation General Manager Md Ismail Hossain said there is no bar to collecting leaves from the gardens. 

“Instead, collecting leaves keeps the gardens clean and helps underprivileged and poor people make some money,” he said.