Mayer Shushasthya Mayer Shuraksha: Cha Bagane Jouna O Prajanan Shasthya Adhikar ebong Paribar Parikalpana—Shachetanata Shahayika (Mothers’ good health mothers’ protection: sexual and reproductive health and rights and family planning: Awareness Guide) is an awareness manual published by Society for Environment and Human Development (SEHD) in cooperation with Center for Injury Prevention and Research, Bangladesh (CIPRB) with support from UNFPA.

The contents of the manual include: background to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), important elements of SRHR, preconditions to SRHR, SRHR in the tea gardens, means to achieve SRHR, organizations giving health services, care of pregnant mothers, preparation of of pregnant mothers, nutrition of pregnant and maternal mothers, National Nutrition Program (NNP), family planning, family planning methods, reproductive healthcare for adolescents, role of Bangladesh Cha Sramik Union and panchayets. Besides, four case studies show how pregnant women and mothers struggle for safe delivery, miscarriage in the tea gardens and maternal deaths. Extract from labour law on facilities it provides is also refreshing the users of the manual.

Cha Sramiker Sangskritik Jibon is a monograph and directory on culture, cultural groups and languages in the tea gardens of Bangladesh. A common identity of those we see working in the beautiful tea gardens in Moulvibazar, Sylhet, Hobiganj, Chattogram and Rangamati districts is they are tea workers. Around 95 percent of the tea workers and their families who have been living in the labour lines in the tea gardens for five generation are Hindus and non-Bangalee. Most stunning of these tea workers are their ethnic identities. In its recent research Society for Environment and Human Development has identified around 80 smaller ethnic communities in the tea gardens. It is needless to say that with so many ethnic identities their languages and cultural diversity are stunning as well.

     SEHD has been working with the tea workers and their communities for nearly two decades. It has completed numerous research, publications and productions on the tea communities. In its work SEHD has always given special attention to  languages and culture of the tea communities. SEHD got an opportunity to carry out a primary research on the cultural groups in the tea gardens from January 2020 under an initiative, ‘Diversity of Peace’ of the United Nations Development Programme.

     A key chapter of this book is languages spoken in the tea gardens, culture and society. Dr. Masudul Haque and Dr. Ashok Biswas have worked in this area with SEHD. There are 13 languages spoken in the tea garden areas including Bangla, Monipuri and Khasi. Sadly enough, many communities in the tea gardens are losing their languages. Mixing of languages is also remarkable in the tea gardens. So-called ‘Jangli’ is a prime example of mixing languages. The researchers have given special attention on the significance of protection of languages in the tea gardens. Their research-paper published in this book marks only the beginning of research on language, culture and society in the tea gardens.

     Brief discussion in the beginning of this book on tea workers, their communities and the tea industry helps understand the background of life and culture of the tea communities.

     In field research SEHD has found 32 cultural groups in the tea gardens of Sylhet, Moulvibazar and Habiganj districts. The life of the tea workers is indeed tied to the tea gardens and labour lines. However, regular cultural practice among themselves keep them connected and strengthen their communication.  A key chapter of this book compiles the addresses of the cultural teams, names of all artists, their occupations, educational qualifications and their role in their respective groups.

     Publications on languages spoken in the tea gardens and culture are few. An annotated bibliography on these publications has been compiled in the last chapter of the book. Those interested in languages and culture in the tea gardens will find this publication useful.

The Story of Tea Workers photography exhibition depicts the life of the tea plantation workers at a time when the government is showing the country a dream of digital Bangladesh and changes in the lives of poor, marginal and Adivasis.

The tea communities are one of the most vulnerable people of Bangladesh. They deserve special attention of the State, not just equal treatment. Unfortunately they continue to remain socially excluded, low paid, overwhelmingly illiterate, deprived and disconnected. They have also lost their original languages in most parts, culture, history, education, knowledge and unity.

Exhibition Details

Exhibition: 2009
Catalogue: English
Photographer: Philip Gain
Price: Tk.50 / US$2

This book is about the tea plantation workers in Bangladesh. However, the genesis of tea cultivation in what is now Bangladesh, its growth, ownership, rights of the tea workers and their struggle for legitimate demands, the use of land granted for tea cultivation and different trends have also been featured to help understand the conditions in which the indentured tea plantation workers have been confined.

The first commercial-scale tea garden in Bangladesh was established in 1854. Now the country has 156 tea gardens (excluding seven in the North Bengal) with more than 118,000 tea workers. The laborers who keep the tea industry alive are not locals. The British companies brought them from different States of India about 150 years back. These workers belonging to many ethnic identities cleared jungles, planted and tended tea saplings, planted shade trees, and built luxurious bungalows for the tea planters. But they had their destiny tied to their huts in the ‘labor lines’ that they built themselves. They continue to remain as people without choice and entitlement to property.

Living conditions in the labor lines of the tea gardens are generally unsatisfactory. Typically a single room is crowded with people of different ages of a family. Cattle and human beings are often seen living together in the same house or room.

The wages of the tea plantation workers of Bangladesh is another concern. They get much lower wages than the Indian tea workers. The work condition of the tea plantation workers is not satisfactory. They are socially excluded, overwhelmingly illiterate, deprived and disconnected. They have also lost their languages and cultures.

“The Story of Tea Workers in Bangladesh” is a book for a wide range of users and actors who want to understand the issues relating to the tea plantation workers and how the tea industry is run. In addition to information, insights and views about the conditions of the tea plantation workers, one will also find significant literature review and guidance to web resources on tea; useful addresses of concerned actors and institutions; laws relating to tea industry and tea workers; a glossary on the tea industry and the tea plantation workers; the demands of the tea workers and the memorandum of understanding; addresses of all the tea estates with some basic information, etc.

Publication Details

Published: 2009
English: 303 pages, Paperback
Bangla: 334 pages, Paperback
Editor: Philip Gain
Price: Tk.300 US$15