A protest rally and demonstration took place on Tuesday in Sylhet’s Amtala, demanding the annulment of the published government gazette and asking for setting daily wage for tea garden workers at TK 500.
Central to the protest was a government notification released on August 10, 2023, which outlined minimum wages and benefits for tea garden workers at TK 170
SM Shuvo, the coordinator of the 10-point Bastabayan Sangram Committee of Tea Workers, said that the government notification favored the interests of plantation owners at the expense of the workers.
He demanded the immediate rescission of the existing gazette and the immediate issuance of a new one, stipulating a daily wage of Tk 500.
The committee conveyed that should these demands remain unaddressed, they would resort to intensified agitation, pressuring the government to retract the controversial gazette.
Sabuj Tanti, convener of the committee, echoed these sentiments in his speech, saying that the government appeared to prioritize the interests of plantation owners over those of the tea workers.
Following the rally, a protest march traversed the main roads of Sylhet Sadar Upazila office.
There, the committee presented a memorandum to the Minister of Labor, a document channelled through Sylhet Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer.
Prominent figures within the tea worker community, including Adviser of 10-point Bastabayan Sangram Committee- Srivas Mahali, Coordinator SM Shuvo, Panchayat President of Burjan Tea Factory Bilas Banerjee, and Khadim Cha, voiced their concerns during the rally.
The rally witnessed the participation of other individuals, such as Bagan Panchayat Committee General Secretary Amal Naik, Local Union Parishad Member Ataur Rahman Shamim, Teacher Bikash Bauri, Burjan Tea Factory Panchayat Committee Treasurer Sushant Chaja, as well as Tea Workers Leaders Anita Basak, Kumkum Naik, and Madhu Bhumij.
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