Labour and Employment Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury. File photo

SANGSAD BHABAN, July 9, 2026 (BSS) - Labour and Employment Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury today said the government will review and revise the minimum wage for tea workers in August as part of its commitment to improving their quality of life. 

Speaking on a private member's resolution moved by BNP MP from Moulvibazar-4 Md Showkatul Islam, the minister said the government is giving the highest priority to the sustainable development of the tea industry alongside protecting tea workers' legitimate rights, ensuring safe working conditions and improving their quality of life. 

He said the minimum wage for tea workers is reviewed and revised every three years through the Wage Board, constituted with representatives of both employers and workers under the Bangladesh Labour Act, 2006.

Noting that there is a customary practice of increasing wages by 5 percent every three years, he said the board would meet next month to consider the latest revision.

"The process will continue in the future as well," he said. 

He said wage determination is carried out in accordance with Section 141 of the Labour Act, taking into account several factors, including inflation, employers' financial capacity, production costs and the living standards of workers.

To ensure the welfare of tea workers, the minister said the government led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman believes that not only raising wages but also improving the overall quality of life is equally important.

Ariful said the government has been implementing a range of initiatives to improve housing facilities, ensure access to safe drinking water, strengthen healthcare services, expand educational opportunities for workers' children, enhance skills development and widen social safety net coverage for tea workers.

Responding to the resolution on fixing daily minimum wage of Tk 500 for a tea worker, the minister said the public interest and workers' welfare issues highlighted by the lawmaker would receive due consideration and the government would continue taking practical measures to address them.

He assured Parliament that the government would closely monitor the process to ensure that tea workers receive their rightful entitlements.

Ten lawmakers from the treasury and opposition benches participated in the discussion and expressed support for the resolution. 

Referring to the minimum wage of Bangladeshi tea workers as among the lowest in the world, the lawmakers said the wage of permanent tea workers was increased by 5 percent, or Tk 8.50, raising the daily wage to Tk 178.50.

In Assam, a tea worker gets Tk 238 per day while Sri Lanka pays Tk 423. If they can pay higher wages and still be profitable, why can't Bangladeshi owners do the same, they asked. 

Later, the lawmaker withdrew the resolution after the minister assured the House that the Wage Board would meet in August to revise the minimum wage for tea workers and that the government would closely monitor the board's decision to ensure workers receive their rightful entitlements.