Modern slavery within the tea industry in Bangladesh
What are the key economic and political factors driving modern slavery within the tea industry in Bangladesh?
Abstract
The main factor driving modern slavery within the tea industry in Bangladesh is the extreme marginalisation of tea garden workers, who are mostly descendants of migrants from India, by wider society. Social and economic exclusion mean workers have no alternative to working under highly exploitative conditions in the tea industry.
This review found considerable literature on the working conditions of tea workers, but little on the wider context of their position in society, attention to the plight of tea workers in policy-making, or the macro-economic and political pressures to sustain modern slavery in Bangladesh’s tea gardens.
K4D helpdesk reports provide summaries of current research, evidence and lessons learned. This report was commissioned by the UK Department for International Development.
Citation
Idris, I. (2018) Modern slavery within the tea industry in Bangladesh. K4D Helpdesk Report. Brighton, UK: Institute of Development Studies.
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