Swapan Kumar Singh :

HABIGANJ, November 1, 2026:

Tea workers at four tea gardens in Habiganj and one in Moulvibazar have reportedly gone without wages for three consecutive weeks, pushing nearly 15,000 workers and their families into severe financial hardship.

Demanding payment of outstanding wages and fulfilment of five-point demands, workers staged separate demonstrations in front of the deputy commissioners' offices in Habiganj and Moulvibazar on Sunday. Later, tea garden workers' representatives submitted memoranda to the respective deputy commissioners.

Workers from Deundi, Lalchand, Noapara and Mirtinga tea gardens took part in the demonstrations. They demanded immediate payment of overdue wages, deposit of provident fund contributions and improved medical facilities, among other benefits.

In their memorandum, the workers said each employee was owed around Tk 4,000 in arrears. The total outstanding amount under this head is estimated at nearly Tk 6 crore for around 15,000 workers.

They also alleged that provident fund contributions deducted from their wages, along with the corresponding employer contributions, had not been deposited for 47 months, depriving workers of their entitled benefits.

The workers further complained that healthcare services in the gardens had deteriorated significantly due to a shortage of medicines. Repairs and construction of workers' housing, including maintenance of doors, windows and roofs, had also reportedly remained suspended.

Apon Santal, president of the Deundi Tea Company Panchayat, said workers had been deprived of their legitimate entitlements since 2022.

Workers at the four gardens under Deundi Tea Company have not received wages for three weeks. In addition, each worker is owed around Tk 4,000 in arrears, while provident fund contributions have also not been

deposited properly," he said.

He said workers had earlier staged work stoppages at their respective gardens, but the authorities had taken no effective steps to resolve the crisis.

That is why we organised demonstrations in front of the deputy commissioner's office on Sunday and submitted a memorandum outlining our five-point demands. If the situation is not resolved, we are considering tougher programmes," he added.

Deundi Tea Company Manager Md Riaz Uddin said the company was facing difficulties as banks were not providing loans.

He said a fire had caused significant damage to the factory and the tea garden's operations, adding that banking institutions had not adequately addressed the company's problems. However, he said the company was trying to resolve the crisis as soon as possible.

Dulal Ghosh, general secretary of the tea workers' panchayat and a union parishad councillor, warned that workers would launch tougher programmes if their demands were not met promptly.

Noapara Tea Garden's acting manager Md Sohag Ahmed confirmed that wages and allowances for three weeks remained unpaid.

We had sought time from the workers. The company is trying to arrange payment of their wages and allowances as soon as possible," he said.

Lalchand Tea Garden Manager Md Fakhrul Islam Faridi said a fire had destroyed the factory and the company had been unable to secure bank loans since 2018.

He alleged that banks had been delaying the loan process. Despite the financial difficulties, the company had paid workers their festival bonuses, he said.

"However, wages for the last three weeks are now outstanding. We are hopeful that the situation will improve if the bank loan is approved. The company is also trying to resolve the matter," he added.

Habiganj Deputy Commissioner Dr GM Sarfaraz said he would discuss the matter with the higher authorities and take necessary steps to resolve the crisis.

Workers' dues should be paid before their sweat dries. We need to understand why such a situation has arisen. I will soon sit with the concerned authorities to discuss how to resolve the problem," he said.