DEPRIVED INDIGENOUS TEA WORKERS IN BANGLADESH.
The Tea Industry was begun in North East part of Bengal by the British Empire in 1856. Those populations after tireless efforts and fighting against the nature, poisonous snakes and wild animals cleared up hilly grounds, and developed the Tea Industry. The first Tea Garden developed in Sylhet region by the British, was “Malnicherra” near Sylhet town. The tea workers population is about 2.5 million. They are the most disadvantaged, neglected and vulnerable people in the country. The Bangladesh Government does not have any policy for the development of Indigenous peoples. Today the tea industry is controlled by private companies who lease garden from the government of Bangladesh. You can do something about the changing te exploitative conditions of tea workers in bangladesh.
Agents of Tea workers’ exploitations
The Tea Companies themselves purposely deprive them of their due rights and wages for business purposes. Leading Political Parties by keeping the workers in the dark, ignorant and unaware of situations particular parties use them as Vote Bank to achieve their selfish interests. Domination of fraudulent Labour Union leadership: In order to protect and safe guard the fundamental rights of the Tea Indigenous populations, a Labour Trade Union was established in the early forties. It is regrettable that the very Labour Union born of Tea worker out of their sweat and brow has become the source of exploitation.
Basic problems of the Tea Indigenous populations are as follows
The Tea Industry was begun in North East part of Bengal by the British Empire in 1856. Those populations after tireless efforts and fighting against the nature, poisonous snakes and wild animals cleared up hilly grounds, and developed the Tea Industry. The first Tea Garden developed in Sylhet region by the British, was “Malnicherra” near Sylhet town. The tea workers population is about 2.5 million. They are the most disadvantaged, neglected and vulnerable people in the country. The Bangladesh Government does not have any policy for the development of Indigenous peoples. Today the tea industry is controlled by private companies who lease garden from the government of Bangladesh. You can do something about the changing te exploitative conditions of tea workers in bangladesh.
Agents of Tea workers’ exploitations
The Tea Companies themselves purposely deprive them of their due rights and wages for business purposes. Leading Political Parties by keeping the workers in the dark, ignorant and unaware of situations particular parties use them as Vote Bank to achieve their selfish interests. Domination of fraudulent Labour Union leadership: In order to protect and safe guard the fundamental rights of the Tea Indigenous populations, a Labour Trade Union was established in the early forties. It is regrettable that the very Labour Union born of Tea worker out of their sweat and brow has become the source of exploitation.
Basic problems of the Tea Indigenous populations are as follows
Insufficient Education Facilities: Out of a Seven hundred thousand Tea population workers, at least one hundred thousand children are School going. Out of that number, only Eighteen thousand are enlisted by the Tea Board and ten percent are privileged to go to School. There are about 153 schools run by the Tea Board. Moreover, there is no proper environment in those schools for proper education. Most of the Schools are broken and with out proper walls and furniture. Schoolhouses are not conducive at all for education
Denial of Land Ownership: One hundred fifty years ago under the British Administration, the Tea Estate Workers have levelled the mountains, cleared up jungles & hillocks, and established the Tea Industry in this country. Besides, they also levelled barren grounds and turned them into cultivable fields and took control over the whole land.
Denial of Land Ownership: One hundred fifty years ago under the British Administration, the Tea Estate Workers have levelled the mountains, cleared up jungles & hillocks, and established the Tea Industry in this country. Besides, they also levelled barren grounds and turned them into cultivable fields and took control over the whole land.
Inhuman Housing Condition: According to the labour law, every labourer is entitled to have a half bricked house with corrugated tins, size of 17’×22’ feet, built by the Company. According to the Housing Law every year, the Tea Estate Company is supposed to build houses for 10% of its labourers. They live in shabby and congested houses. The floor of the houses is soggy and it causes diarrhoea and child mortality. They really live a miserable life in one room with their kith and kin along with the livestock. In order to avoid this unbearable situation if anyone wants to build a good and big house according to his or her own ability, the Estate Authority does not allow it to happen. They harass the workers by filing false cases against them.
Insufficient Health Care: The system of health care in the Tea Gardens is miserable. One of the leading Tea producing companies in Bangladesh known as James Finley has got a standard Hospital for the Tea Workers
Unjust Wage: The Tea Workers get a very minimum wage from the company. They work from morning till evening but they get only Tk. 28.10 (60 US Cent) a day. The Labour Union together with the Tea Board fixes the amount of wage
Insufficient Health Care: The system of health care in the Tea Gardens is miserable. One of the leading Tea producing companies in Bangladesh known as James Finley has got a standard Hospital for the Tea Workers
Unjust Wage: The Tea Workers get a very minimum wage from the company. They work from morning till evening but they get only Tk. 28.10 (60 US Cent) a day. The Labour Union together with the Tea Board fixes the amount of wage
