Justice in the Tea Gardens: Hoping for a better future

Justice in the Tea Gardens: Hoping for a better future

For generations, the tea gardens of Sylhet, an eastern region of Bangladesh, have been home to some of the hardest-working yet poorest communities. Here, families live on low wages, often with no land.

Family quarrels and conflicts over wages or loans are common. Each conflict took years to resolve in the formal judicial system, which is why justice remained far, costly, and complex for tea workers.

Children grow up watching these disputes. And it shaped their dreams and aspirations. 

During a recent visit to a Sylhet tea garden, we met Kurban, Saifu, Sayeda, and Zayeda, all of whom are under 15. We asked about their dreams. Kurban and Saifu said they want to become police or BGB officers, "because people always fight in the tea gardens." Sayeda had something else planned: "I want to be a teacher, so I can teach everyone not to fight."

Their words reflect their surroundings and a hope for something better. 

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Bangladesh works in the tea gardens through Activating Village Courts in Bangladesh (AVCB), striving to nurture that hope. 

The initiative AVCB is supported by the Government of Bangladesh and the European Union

The initiative, now in its third phase, is supported by the Government of Bangladesh and the European Union. What started in 2009 as a pilot has grown to become a nationwide mechanism for delivering accessible, affordable justice in rural and hard-to-reach areas. The third phase of the project was designed in 2022 and started from 2023. 

It has expanded the reach into 61 districts and thousands of Union Parishads.

Marginalised people, tea garden labourers, women, ethnic minorities, landless, or very poor households are among the primary beneficiaries.

For those who cannot afford travel or legal fees, a hearing costs at most a few hundred Bangladeshi taka or less, that too, inclusive of court fees, transportation, and other expenses, proved to be transformative. Since no lawyer is needed in the Village Court, this reduces unnecessary hassles and costs, and the matter is settled in a few weeks.

Marginalised people, tea garden labourers, women, ethnic minorities, landless, or very poor households are among the primary beneficiaries

Sharmin, a tea garden worker in Moulvibazar, is a testament to that. Her husband was beaten over an unpaid loan of just BDT 500 (roughly USD 4.25). He was hospitalised, and they did not have the financial condition to pay medical expenses. When she turned to the Village Court for a solution, her case was dealt with utmost importance. 

In days, the panel consisting of representatives of disputants and a Chairman ruled that not only was the debt settled, but the attacker had to pay for Kamal's hospital bills.

"It was the first time I believed I could access justice," Sharmin said.

AVCB ensures that women feel comfortable seeking justice as applicants and in decision-making roles. And women's participation in AVCB has increased over time. However, every case from marginalised communities is treated with sincerity.  

AVCB ensures that women feel comfortable seeking justice as applicants and in decision-making roles

For example, Swapan Kalowar, another tea worker with a stationary shop, had waited ten years for a customer to repay BDT 15,000 (roughly USD 127).

When Swapan was denied his money, he had almost given up hope until the Village Court intervened. Within 20 days of filing the case in the Village Court, he received his money. 

"I am so happy with AVCB that I have recently referred my neighbours to the Village Court for justice," Swapan said.

Swapan Kalowar received justice through AVCB within 20 days

Shib Narayan Shill, the area's panel chairman, is himself from the tea community. He explained-

"Tea workers toil hard all day for limited wages. Without recreation, frustrations grow and end in fights, disputes, or conflicts over borrowed money. The Village Court is their only hope because they cannot afford the formal system."

He believes that when you can get justice at an affordable cost, closer to your home, hope for a better future returns.

The formal courts may still carry their huge backlogs, but Village Courts are already making a difference in the tea gardens of Sylhet. For many, there is now a future, one where dreams of being a police officer, a teacher, or simply someone who is treated fairly are no longer distant.

The leaves of Sylhet's gardens may be known worldwide, but now, justice is taking root here, slowly but surely shaping a future of hope.