Labour and Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury said the Labour Ministry will form a special investigation committee to assess conditions at tea gardens across the country. He made the announcement on Saturday morning, August 15, 2026, during a meeting with Bangladesh Tea Workers Union leaders at his residence in Kumarpara, Sylhet city. The minister said further action would be considered after discussing the committee’s report with all relevant parties.

Union leaders sought high-level government intervention to implement an eight-point demand, including setting daily wages at Tk400. They submitted a memorandum seeking an increase from the current Tk187.43 daily wage, permanent ownership of homestead land, affordable housing, and the prompt completion of long-suspended union elections.

The memorandum also called for changes to discriminatory labour-law provisions on leave, gratuity and eviction, technical educational institutions in tea-growing areas, and priority for tea communities in government jobs. Leaders requested cultural academies in 21 upazilas, gazette recognition for 67 remaining tea communities as small ethnic groups, and official recognition of May 20 as Tea Workers Day. The minister promised to raise legitimate demands at higher government levels.