Speakers at a consultation on Wednesday urged the government to reconsider its plan to classify Bangladesh’s tea industry as an agricultural sector, warning that the move could undermine workers’ rights and welfare and have wider implications for land ownership and the future of the industry.

They also called for a transparent and inclusive restructuring process involving tea workers, trade unions, owners, relevant government agencies and independent experts.

They made the remarks at a consultation titled “Restructuring Bangladesh’s Tea Industry: Implications for Tea Workers” at the Jatiya Press Club, jointly arranged by the Society for Environment and Human Development (SEHD), Brattyajan Resource Centre, and Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC).

SEHD, an NGO, has a long track record of advocacy in the tea industry, working closely with tea workers.

PPRC Executive Chairman Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman said reclassifying tea as agriculture was a hasty and ineffective proposal that did not fit with the government’s broader economic development policy.

He said tea has both agricultural and industrial dimensions, with leaves cultivated in plantations and processed into tea in factories.

“Rather than narrowly reclassifying the sector, we need a comprehensive plan to make the tea industry more dynamic and sustainable,” he said.

He also called for reviewing the composition of the government’s advisory and monitoring committee, saying representatives of the Industries Ministry and tea workers should be included.

He urged the participants to prepare an alternative proposal focusing on the sector’s overall development, including productivity, workers’ rights, land and housing issues, and the industry’s cultural heritage.

Prof Tanzimuddin Khan questioned why only 10 of 59 recommendations of the government task force had been made public, calling for disclosure of the remaining recommendations.

He also questioned the composition of the technical committee, particularly the absence of representatives from the Agriculture and Labour ministries, and urged scrutiny of possible conflicts of interest.

Activist Khushi Kabir said tea estates could not be treated like ordinary agricultural farms as generations of workers live within the estates and depend on them for their livelihoods, housing and other essential services.

She called for a tripartite process involving the government, tea garden owners and workers before any decision is taken.

Prof Syed M Hashemi said government support should increase productivity without allowing the benefits to go disproportionately to owners.

Tea worker Khairun Akter strongly opposed changing the identity of tea workers to agricultural workers, saying that she is proud of her identity as a tea worker.

She demanded that tea workers and their representatives be included in all future discussions and warned that workers would launch stronger movements if decisions were taken without their participation.

The event was moderated by Philip Gain, Director of SEHD.