CPB expresses solidarity with tea workers’ movement

The Communist Party of Bangladesh has expressed solidarity with tea garden workers’ rising demand ‘to save land’ in Habiganj’s Chunarughat, terming the movement ‘rational’.

President of CPB Mujahidul Islam Selim said that they have plans to stage country-wide demonstrations supporting the movement of the tea workers.
 
The movement demands withdrawal of the decision to set up a special economic zone in an area now covered with tea gardens.
 
Selim said during a discussion in the capital’s Muktibhaban that, from an ethical point of view, the tea workers are the real owners of these lands. They have been cultivating the land for generations.
 
Basically, this movement is to establish their rights on these lands. There is no scope to call it irrational, Selim added.
 

The CPB president said, “Our representatives are working together with the tea workers in Chunarughat.”

The government has allocated 511 acres of land from the Chandpur tea gardens for setting up an economic zone in Habiganj’s Chunarughat.

This comes 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.

They staged demonstrations on Dec 20 and submitted a memorandum to the district deputy commissioner.

They have threatened to intensify their movement if their demands are not met within seven days.

Earlier, on Dec 1, they formed a ‘Land Protection Committee’ to protect the land they hold.

Anu Mohammad, member-secretary of the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Port, said the lion’s share of total GDP comes from agriculture. So, this decision is totally offhand.

General Secretary of BASAD Khalequzzaman, presidium member of CPB and others were also present at the meeting.