The persistently low wages of tea workers in Bangladesh cannot be explained simply by the "will of owners." They are rooted in a deeper economic structure shaped by historical exploitation, global market pressure and long-standing policy neglect.
Tea production in Bangladesh is mainly concentrated in Sylhet, Moulvibazar, and Panchagarh. From its inception, the industry followed a colonial model. During the British rule, workers were brought from Assam, Odisha and central India and confined to tea estates, where their living conditions, education, and mobility were tightly controlled. This structure was never dismantled after independence. Consequently, tea workers today remain trapped in a "captive labour market," with limited skills and few alternatives outside the gardens. This severely weakens their bargaining power and strengthens that of estate owners.
Globally, tea is a low-margin commodity. Countries such as Kenya, Sri Lanka, India, and Vietnam produce similar products and buyers often choose the cheapest source. Owners therefore fear that higher wages will raise production costs and make Bangladeshi tea less competitive. This international pressure is passed directly on to workers.
National export priorities further aggravate the problem. Bangladesh's policy focus, incentives and financial support overwhelmingly favour the readymade garments sector. The tea industry, by contrast, receives little strategic backing, despite being highly labour-intensive and impossible to mechanise fully. Wages thus become the primary cost-cutting tool.
Moreover, most Bangladeshi tea is exported to low-price markets in the Middle East and parts of Africa. With limited branding and little penetration into premium markets, Bangladesh has positioned itself as a "cheap tea" supplier, locking the entire value chain into low returns.
The solution, therefore, lies not only in wage adjustments but in structural transformation. Bangladesh must invest in modern processing, branding and quality improvement to enter premium markets, as Sri Lanka has done. Higher export value would make fairer wages economically sustainable.
Simultaneously, tea workers must be guaranteed education, healthcare and housing rights so that they are not bound to the gardens for life. When alternative opportunities exist, bargaining power improves. If the government treats tea as a strategic export sector-offering targeted subsidies, tax incentives, and diplomatic support for global market access-greater profits can flow to workers. Without such reform, wage injustice will persist, regardless of periodic protests.
Sorna Bhuiyan
Moghbazar, Dhaka
