Tea workers threaten with blockade, strike on Jan 25 demanding cancellation of economic-zone plan

Workers of tea gardens at Chunarughat in Habiganj have threatened with a strike in all tea gardens and a blockade of the Dhaka-Sylhet Highway on Jan 25 if their demand to withdraw the decision to set up an economic zone on their arable land is not met.

The protest plan was announced at a rally organised by the ‘Committee to Protect Chandpur Tea Gardens Land’ and Tea Workers Union on Saturday.

The protesters said they would enforce the shutdown and blockade if their demand was not met during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Sylhet visit on Jan 21.

They also decided to stage a two-hour strike daily until their demand is met.

Workers from over 23 gardens in Brahmanbarhia, Habiganj, Sylhet and Moulvibazar have announced solidarity with the protesters in Chunarughat and enforced a full-day strike on Saturday.

On Dec 29, the striking tea workers submitted a memorandum to the prime minister through the local administration demanding cancellation of the decision to allocate ‘arable land’ for setting up an economic zone.

The government has allocated 511 acres of land of Chandpur tea gardens for setting up the economic zone.

This came as part of its plan to set up some special economic zones across the country.

The workers of the tea gardens, widely known as ‘Khetland’, have been protesting to save the land.