*Assistant Professor, Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Chittagong, Chittagong-4331, Bangladesh
**Post Graduate Research Student, Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Chittagong, Chittagong-4331, Bangladesh
Online published on 15 February, 2014.
Tea is one of the most important exporting cash crops of Bangladesh. The country's average export of tea per year is about 26 million kg of value of $ 36 million. A large number of tea workers are directly or indirectly related with this industry. Their life style and social status are different from others. Habiganj district is the second largest tea garden of Bangladesh. There are 23 tea gardens located in this district out of 163 tea gardens of Bangladesh. This research paper attempts to highlight the socio-economic condition of tea workers in the selective tea gardens. All of the tea workers in these selected tea gardens are ‘Hindu’ and they are divided into some racial groups. The actual origin of tea workers are from different states of India i.e., Orissa, Bhupal, Assam, Bihar, Meghalaya etc. They are living within half to one mile distance from working place. Their weekly wage is only 330 Taka for 8 hours working in a day. Several socio-economic problems investigate and relevant information was collected through open pre-coded questionnaire method. Proper data dissemination from tea garden ownership along with tea workers is the main drawback. For the socio-economic development of tea workers as well as tea industry, it is high time to take proper steps considering implementing solutions with good co-operation by tea garden ownership, government and non-government organizations.
Socio-economic, Tea Worker, Tea Garden, Habiganj, Bangladesh
