2,500 tea workers face 20-week wage delay in Sylhet, announce road blockade tomorrow

Around 2,500 workers from three tea gardens in Sylhet have not received their wages for the past 20 weeks and have announced a blockade of the Sylhet Airport Road tomorrow (4 May) in protest.

The affected workers are employed at the Charagang, Kalagul, and Burjan tea gardens, as well as the Burjan factory — all operated under the Burjan Tea Company.

Ranjit Nayek Ranju, convener of the Tea Workers and Tea Garden Protection Committee, said, "Despite repeated assurances, no one has kept their word. We have heard many promises, but not a single one has been fulfilled. Therefore, to realise our demands, we will block the Sylhet Airport Road at Malnicherra on Sunday."

The long-pending salaries have pushed the workers and their families into severe hardship.

Long-time worker Jasda Bauri from Kalagul tea garden said he had never experienced such a prolonged crisis.

"I have been working for over four decades. When I started, my daily wage was only Tk6. Over the years, wages and rations increased. But never in 60 years have I faced a situation where I did not receive wages for 20 weeks."

"We did not receive any bonus during Dul Utsav. I protested, received assurances, but nothing changed. Thursday was May Day, but I did not get my wages or any bonus," he added.

Josna Begum, an elderly worker from the Burjan tea garden, said, "In my long working life, I never had to take to the streets before Eid to demand unpaid wages. But this time I had to. I could not even provide iftar properly during Ramadan. We could not buy anything for Eid. I felt ashamed to face my children. We are struggling to survive without food."

Last week, workers held a two-hour demonstration in front of the Sylhet Deputy Commissioner's office at Bandar Bazar after marching from the Lakkatur area.

During the protest, they said their families were going half-fed or starving, as both salaries and rations remained unpaid. They added that their children were suffering, and education was being disrupted.

Sohag Chhatri, a tea worker leader at Kalagul, said, "We are repeatedly told that we will be paid 'today or tomorrow', but it never happens. When we are starving, the garden owners travel abroad."

Md Kamruzzaman, manager of the Burjan Tea Garden, said, "We have applied for a loan from Krishi Bank. We have not received it yet. All outstanding dues will be cleared once the loan is granted. Hopefully, the situation will improve soon."

He added that not only the workers but also officers and staff have not been paid due to financial losses at the gardens.

Md Anwar Uz Zaman, additional deputy commissioner (general) of Sylhet, said, "Food and relief materials have been distributed among the 2,600 affected workers by the district administration. We have already spoken to the ministry and the Tea Board regarding the unpaid wages."