Tea workers of the state-owned National Tea Company Limited (NTC) have launched an indefinite strike since Tuesday, protesting six weeks of unpaid wages.

At least 11,286 workers from NTC's 12 tea gardens nationwide have ceased work, forming human chains and staging protests within the gardens, according to official sources.

On Friday afternoon, thousands of workers from the Chandichara tea garden escalated the protest by blocking the old highway in the Chandichara area of Chunarughat upazila in Habiganj.

Nipen Paul, general secretary of the Bangladesh Tea Workers Union, told The Daily Star today that the strike reflects the deepening frustration over the payment delays, which have left around 40,000 people who rely on the tea workers' incomes in precarious conditions.

Ranjit Karmakar, president of Chandichara Tea Garden Panchayat Committee, criticised the garden authorities for failing to fulfill their repeated promises about wages and rations.

Karmakar shared that workers have been forced to endure six weeks without pay or essential rations, making it increasingly difficult to support their families.

Workers have warned of further actions, including more highway blockades, if payments are not issued soon. The two-hour road blockade in Chunarughat upazila on Friday afternoon led to significant traffic disruptions, reports our Moulvibazar correspondent.

Tea garden workers like Rita Ganju voiced their struggles to meet family needs without wages, and Dilip Bhar emphasised the hardship of working without pay and the scarcity affecting their families.

Rambhajan Kairi, former general secretary of the Bangladesh Tea Workers Union, said that NTC workers stopped reporting to work from Tuesday.

In the Habiganj district alone, employees from three NTC tea gardens indicated they would continue the strike for another three to four days if wage issues remain unresolved. Workers, who earn a daily wage of Tk 170, are calling only for the payment of their overdue wages — not for an increase or new demands, Kairi said.

The workers, Kairi added, are ready to resume work as soon as their dues are settled, yet garden authorities have been unable to provide a timeline for payment.

Selimur Rahman, manager of the Chandichara Tea Garden, said that tea leaves are going to waste due to the absence of labour. He said that efforts are underway to settle the workers' dues but warned that continued disruptions could result in a larger crisis affecting both workers and owners.

In response to the strike, NTC General Manager Emdadul Haque said the company is actively seeking to resolve the wage issues. He said that the absence of a fully restructured board of directors has hampered NTC's ability to secure loans from Bangladesh Agricultural Bank. However, he expressed hope that once the board is reconstituted, they will be able to meet wage obligations.

Haque also said that this period is critical for tea production, and the ongoing strikes could severely impact garden operations if not resolved promptly.