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Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has expressed her joy on Saturday as she received gold bangles from tea workers.
She said: “You brought this gift when you met me at Ganabhaban. I still have this in my hand. I did not forget. To me it is the most valuable tresure. The tea workers gave me this gift by saving pennies. I have never received such a great honor, such a great gift.”
The prime minister said she was very happy when the tea workers handed her this gift in their previous meeting.
She made the remark while addressing tea workers in different areas of the country through video conference from her official residence Ganabhaban.
Representatives of tea workers from Moulvibazar, Habiganj, Sylhet and Chittagong joined the conference.
The prime minister said that by giving her such an expensive gift with the little money they make shows how much they respect her.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said that tea workers always cast their vote for Awami League.
“I have a separate responsibility to you (tea workers) as the Father of the Nation had given you the citizenship. I am always trying to perform the responsibilities accordingly,” Sheikh Hasina said.
“Since the Awami League assumed office, we have always been trying to resolve all the problems of the tea workers and to spread the tea industry (to other parts of the country),” she said, adding that they have started tea cultivation afresh in Panchagar.
In this connection, the prime minister said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had taken various measures for the flourishing of the industry and to ensure a better life for the tea workers when he (Bangabandhu) was entrusted with the responsibilities of the chairman of the then tea board.
She said Bangabandhu had established headquarters of the tea board in Motijheel alongside taking measures to flourish the tea industry and gave the tea workers citizenship and voting rights as he had sympathy towards them.
Following the footsteps of the Father of the Nation, the Premier said she has always attached priorities to the well-being of the tea workers.
Referring to recent demonstrations of the tea workers, she said they had given a hike in their daily wages and other benefits so that they could live properly after holding talks with the tea garden owners.
“We think we can realize their (tea workers’) demands,” she said.
Earlier on Saturday last, the prime minister held a meeting with owners of tea gardens where the minimum daily wage for a tea worker was fixed at Tk 170.
Tea workers want ambulance, doctor
The tea workers have asked Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to provide them with basic medical facilities like ambulances and doctors as well as education and job facilities’ for future generations.
Tea worker Rita thanked the prime minister for increasing the wages from Tk120 to Tk170.
She referred prime minister as mother and said: “We will always think of you. We know Sheikh Mujibur Rahman brought us independence. We still live independently. We hope you will always be at our side like your father.”
Later, another woman tea worker told the prime minister: “You are giving us old age allowance, widow allowance, and many more benefits. When the election day comes, I go from house to house and ask them to vote for Awami League.”
She said the tea workers were forced to wage a movement for their livelihood and asked for the prime minister’s forgiveness if she was hurt by the movement.
In response, the prime minister said: “What you have done is because of your live hood. For this, I have spoken to the owners before and with you later.”
The prime minister assured the tea workers saying that she would be always with them.
