Workers' misery mounts

Serious food crisis grips 362 tea garden workers along with around 2,400 family members as authorities of Boikunthapur Tea Estate in Madhabpur upazila of Habiganj stopped paying them wages and ration 13 weeks ago.

These people are now struggling for existence, living on liquid extract from boiled rice and mashed tea leaves and chillies while the authorities continue receiving their labour.

"Give me food or shoot me -- I would say if I could see or had enough energy to shout. I'm too old to go elsewhere to earn money?" said Jamuna Sawtal, an 80-year-old blind woman in the tea garden area.

"I was happy to hear my grandson's plan to marry soon but now we are frustrated because tea garden owner did not pay him wages for 13 weeks," she said.

Sudhamoni Bhumij, 75, says, "If the government does not help us during the crisis period, I would rather like to be beheaded and let my blood flow in the garden."

"Hardship and struggle are constant companions of most of the indigenous people living in the area. But the present food crisis has left us in suffering worse than ever before," said Kartik Chowhan, 92, breaking down in tears.

Minoti Kairi, a tea worker of the garden, said they stopped their children's schooling due to the crisis.

Monib Karmakar, general secretary of Bangladesh Tea Labour Union's Baikunthapur tea garden unit, said the workers are falling sick as they have to pass their days half-fed for not getting wages with ration for 13 weeks. 

Most of the staff left the tea garden as they do not get salary regularly, he added.

"We request the owner to come on the spot and see our plight. Throughout the life we have worked in the tea garden. Where will we go now?" said Modhu Sawtal, 62. 

"We are also not getting proper treatment as the lone hospital of the garden has remained closed for the last six months," Ramnath Keut, Baikunthapur unit president of Bangladesh Tea Labour Union, said when this correspondent visited the tea garden on Monday.

Makhan Lal Karmakar, central president of the union, said the garden owner earlier gave assurance to the workers that they would settle the matter before July 25 but the promise has not been kept.

Ojit Kumar Sen, head clerk of the garden, said there are some problems as the garden has incurred losses and has to deal with debts.

This correspondent made several mobile calls to take the version of Prodip Kumar Mukharjee, managing director of the garden, but he did not receive the phone.

Sabina Alam, deputy commissioner (DC) of Habiganj, said, "We have given the tea garden workers some rice through the Social Welfare Department and instructed the local UNO to take a co-ordinated initiative involving local union parishad chairman and community leaders to mitigate the workers' sufferings."

"I also talked to the local lawmaker yesterday and sought some immediate allotment for the suffering workers," the DC added.

Contacted, Madhabpur UNO Rashedul Islam said they are trying to communicate with the authorities concerned.