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A century of unbroken chains in Sylhet tea gardens

ON the morning of May 20, 1921, approximately 30,000 tea workers left everything behind. Chanting Mulluke Cholo — “Let’s go to our homeland” — they left the tea gardens of Sylhet and began walking towards Meghna ghat in Chandpur, hoping to return to Bihar, Odisha, Assam, and the other lands from which they had been brought under false promises of a better life. They never made it. At the ghat, the British colonial police opened fire. Bodies fell and were thrown into the river. The survivors fled, or were captured and tortured. The rest, with nowhere else to go, returned to the gardens. In his book, Plantation Labour in India (1931), Rajanikanta Das wrote that “kicking, punching, and various forms of physical torture by European officers against coolies frequently created situations of conflict in the tea gardens. In 1891 alone, 106 incidents of riots and clashes took place in the tea plantations of Assam.” Such resistance continued for years and eventually exploded into the major movement of 1921. Tea workers wanted to return to their homelands, and the spark spread across plantations in the two valleys. One of the immediate causes behind the uprising was the reduction of workers’ wages. The workers from Assam travelled through Sylhet towards the Meghna river port in Chandpur. Along the way, tea workers from various plantations in Sylhet joined them. Their plan was to board steamers from the Meghna ghat to Goalanda and then continue by train to their respective birthplaces. However, on May 20, the workers eager to return home faced a horrific tragedy. As they marched towards Chandpur, under the rallying cry of Mulluke Cholo, Gurkha soldiers stationed by the colonial authorities fell upon them without mercy. Many were killed; for countless others, the dream of returning home died at that ghat. Trapped, they were absorbed permanently into the tea gardens of this region as bound labourers. That blood-soaked day has since become a symbol of broken dreams and defiant resistance — and it is why, every year on May 20, tea workers across Bangladesh observe Cha Shramik Dibosh: Tea Workers Day. More than a hundred years have now passed. The British are gone, as are the Pakistanis. Bangladesh is a sovereign nation with a booming tea industry — 166 tea garden estates, over 116,762 registered workers (and thousands more casual workers). Yet, the state has never officially recognised May 20 as Tea Workers Day. Tea is not merely a beverage in today’s Bangladesh — it is part of our culture, a foreign-exchange earner, and a source of national pride. And this institution was built, brick by brick, leaf by leaf, on the labour of men and women whose ancestors were brought here as indentured workers, stripped of their freedom and dignity, forced to clear jungles, plant seedlings, and build the bungalows inside which their overseers lived in comfort. Their descendants continue that labour today, earning Tk 187 a day and receiving some aid (including grain rations and primary healthcare), crowded into cramped quarters in “labour lines,” often without healthcare or educational opportunities. Official recognition of May 20 as Tea Workers Day would cost the government nothing, but it would mean everything to a community that has spent a century being told that their history does not matter.—The Daily Star (Bangladesh)/ANN Published in Dawn, May 25th, 2026

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PM Shehbaz lands in Beijing, will hold 'high-level' meetings with Chinese leadership

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reached Beijing on Sunday, where he would have “high-level engagements” with the Chinese leadership, including President Xi Jinping and his counterpart, Li Qiang. PM Shehbaz landed in Hangzhou on Saturday, kicking off his four-day official visit to China. He addressed the Pakistan-China Business-to-Business Investment Conference in Hangzhou earlier today, following which he reached Beijing, where he was received by Chinese Minister of Environment and Ecology Huang Runqiu. “During his stay in Beijing, the prime minister will hold high-level engagements, including meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Li Qian,g to further strengthen Pakistan-China all-weather strategic cooperative partnership and advance cooperation under CPEC Phase-II, particularly in trade, investment, industry, agriculture, science and technology, and people-to-people exchanges,” a statement by the PM’s Office (PMO) said. It added that in Hangzhou, the PM chaired the opening ceremony of the third Pakistan-China B2B Investment Conference, which was focused on “charging infrastructure, battery energy storage and solar technologies, and pharmaceuticals”. “He also engaged with the provincial leadership, leading Chinese enterprises, including StarCharge, CATL and Xiuzheng Pharmaceutical, to explore practical investment and industrial cooperation,” the statement said, adding that PM Shehbaz also visited Alibaba Headquarters, where he was received by Executive Chairman Joe Tsai. PM highlights 4 areas for Pak-China cooperation While addressing the Pakistan-China Business-to-Business Investment Conference in Hangzhou, PM listed four areas of importance for Pakistan-China cooperation: agriculture, IT, special economic zones (SEZs), and mines and minerals. Noting that Pakistan was “basically an agrarian economy”, the premier noted the 1,000 Pakistanis who received advanced training in China last year were now back in the country “doing a great job”. He called for both countries to move forward, taking opportunities to improve per-acre yields and have high-quality seeds, best agricultural practices, and mechanisation through which the agricultural sector could be advanced “manifold”. “We have signed MoUs worth billions of dollars, which now need to be converted into agreements. I am very happy to hear that 30 per cent of these M0Us have already been converted into agreements,” the PM said. “China imports every year about $100 billion worth of agricultural products from abroad,” he said. “Pakistan’s share is just a fraction … We will be able to produce agricultural products as per your requirements.” He stressed that if both countries worked together, they would be able to not only provide “massive” job opportunities to the rural areas of Pakistan but also create value addition by raising “hundreds of thousands” of small and medium-scale entrepreneurs there who would export items to China. “In the next five to seven years, we expect that we can increase our agricultural product trade to China by about $10bn,” he said. “And this is not a big task. It can be done, it is possible, not difficult at all — but we need your support,” PM Shehbaz said. The premier also drew attention to the potential of SEZs, highlighting that Karachi’s SEZ spanned over 6,000 acres. He stated that the government would be providing “all basic amenities” at the zone to encourage joint investments by Chinese and Pakistani entrepreneurs. “You will be offered a red carpet treatment,” he stated, adding that the investors would be offered land on long-term leases at “very attractive terms and conditions”. “We will have a world-class SEZ, and then that model will be replicated elsewhere in Pakistan through your great contribution,” he said. Pointing out that “labour in China has become pretty expensive” and that the country was moving towards a high level of industrialisation, PM Shehbaz invited Chinese investors to pursue joint ventures with Pakistani entrepreneurs in sectors where expensive labour had made China less competitive. The goods produced could be exported to third countries, creating a “win-win” situation for Chinese and Pakistani entrepreneurs alike, he said: “This will be … a roaring success in times to come, whether it’s textile or leather or other areas.” He invited Chinese investors to come to Karachi to see its export zone, saying, “Be our guest; we’ll play host to you, and you’ll have great opportunities to understand business propositions.” PM Shehbaz also noted the “huge potential” of the IT and artificial intelligence (AI) sector, and highlighted Pakistan’s large deposits of minerals and gemstones to encourage Chinese entrepreneurs to invest in the mining sector. He concluded by stressing that Pakistan was looking for “expertise, experience, investments — not loans, not aid, not handouts”. “Handouts [and] aid never made a nation vibrant, never made a nation stand on its own feet,” the premier remarked. He expressed his appreciation for President Xi Jinping’s “dynamic leadership” and the deep friendship between Pakistan and China. The conference discussed the sectors of IT and Telecommunications, battery energy storage systems, and agriculture. DPM Dar arrives in Beijing Meanwhile, Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar arrived in Beijing on Sunday, accompanied by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal. He was received at the Beijing airport by Vice Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC), Sun Haiyan. “I will be later chief guest on behalf of PML-N, at the 2nd Pakistan–China Political Parties Forum and the 4th CPEC Political Parties Joint Consultation Mechanism, alongside H.E. Mr Liu Haixing, Minister of the IDCPC,” the deputy foreign minister said in a post on X. Dar noted that the forum will bring together representatives from 12 political parties of Pakistan, including his PML-N. “Looking forward to productive discussions on strengthening political mutual trust, advancing high-quality CPEC cooperation, and deepening the enduring Pakistan–China friendship,” Dar said in another post. Earlier in the day, Dar also addressed the Pakistan-China B2B Investment Conference. “Over 500 companies from both sides are present in this hall. You are the driving force behind this partnership. This conference belongs to you: it is for you, and because of you,” he told the moot, according to a transcript shared by the Foreign Office. “Our government is pursuing an ambitious agenda of economic revival, industrial expansion, and sustainable growth. Over the past four years, we have achieved economic stabilisation, and the economic trajectory today is firmly upward, despite external headwinds,” Dar affirmed. He further said, “Today, you will also hear about another successful joint venture between Servis Group of Pakistan and Long March Tyres of China. Within five years, this joint venture is now about to create a billion-dollar joint venture company.”

PM Shehbaz showcases agri, IT, SEZs, mines and minerals as key areas for Pak-China cooperation

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday highlighted four key areas with immense potential for bilateral cooperation between Pakistan and China. The premier landed in Hangzhou on Saturday, kicking off his four-day official visit to China. He will also visit Beijing, where he is expected to meet the top Chinese leadership. Addressing the Pakistan-China Business-to-Business Investment Conference in Hangzhou, PM Shehbaz listed four areas of importance for Pakistan-China cooperation: agriculture, IT, Special Economic Zones (SEZs), and mines and minerals. Noting that Pakistan was “basically an agrarian economy”, the premier noted the 1,000 Pakistanis who received advanced training in China last year were now back in the country “doing a great job”. He called for both countries to move forward, taking opportunities to improve per-acre yields and have high-quality seeds, best agricultural practices, and mechanisation through which the agricultural sector could be advanced “manifold”. “China imports every year about $100 billion worth of agricultural products from abroad,” he said. “Pakistan’s share is just a fraction … We will be able to produce agricultural products as per your requirements.” He stressed that if both countries worked together, they would be able to not only provide “massive” job opportunities to the rural areas of Pakistan but also create value addition by raising “hundreds of thousands” of small and medium-scale entrepreneurs there who would export items to China. “In the next five to seven years, we expect that we can increase our agricultural product trade to China by about $10bn,” he said. “And this is not a big task. It can be done, it is possible, not difficult at all — but we need your support,” PM Shehbaz said. The premier also drew attention to the potential of SEZs, highlighting that Karachi’s SEZ spanned over 6,000 acres. He stated that the government would be providing “all basic amenities” at the zone to encourage joint investments by Chinese and Pakistani entrepreneurs. “You will be offered a red carpet treatment,” he stated, adding that the investors would be offered land on long-term leases at “very attractive terms and conditions”. “We will have a world-class SEZ, and then that model will be replicated elsewhere in Pakistan through your great contribution,” he said. Pointing out that “labour in China has become pretty expensive” and that the country was moving towards a high level of industrialisation, PM Shehbaz invited Chinese investors to pursue joint ventures with Pakistani entrepreneurs in sectors where expensive labour had made China less competitive. The goods produced could be exported to third countries, creating a “win-win” situation for Chinese and Pakistani entrepreneurs alike, he said: “This will be … a roaring success in times to come, whether it’s textile or leather or other areas.” He invited Chinese investors to come to Karachi to see its export zone, saying, “Be our guest; we’ll play host to you, and you’ll have great opportunities to understand business propositions.” PM Shehbaz also noted the “huge potential” of the IT and artificial intelligence (AI) sector, and highlighted Pakistan’s large deposits of minerals and gemstones to encourage Chinese entrepreneurs to invest in the mining sector. He concluded by stressing that Pakistan was looking for “expertise, experience, investments — not loans, not aid, not handouts”. “Handouts [and] aid never made a nation vibrant, never made a nation stand on its own feet,” the premier remarked. He expressed his appreciation for President Xi Jinping’s “dynamic leadership” and the deep friendship between Pakistan and China. The conference discussed the sectors of IT and Telecommunications, battery energy storage systems, and agriculture. According to state-run Radio Pakistan, “cooperation and investment agreements and memorandums of understanding will be signed and exchanged between Pakistani and Chinese companies” at the conference. The business forum was aimed at promoting cooperation between Pakistani and Chinese companies under the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC 2.0). The premier will also meet with the heads of leading Chinese companies in Hangzhou, and will visit the headquarters of Alibaba Company. “During the visit, cooperation agreements between Alibaba and the Government of Pakistan will be signed,” the outlet reported. DPM Dar arrives in Beijing Meanwhile, Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar arrived in Beijing on Sunday, accompanied by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal. He was received at the Beijing airport by Vice Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC), Sun Haiyan. “I will be later chief guest on behalf of PML-N, at the 2nd Pakistan–China Political Parties Forum and the 4th CPEC Political Parties Joint Consultation Mechanism, alongside H.E. Mr Liu Haixing, Minister of the IDCPC,” the deputy foreign minister said in a post on X. Dar noted that the forum will bring together representatives from 12 political parties of Pakistan, including his PML-N. “Looking forward to productive discussions on strengthening political mutual trust, advancing high-quality CPEC cooperation, and deepening the enduring Pakistan–China friendship,” Dar said in another post. Earlier in the day, Dar also addressed the Pakistan-China B2B Investment Conference. “Over 500 companies from both sides are present in this hall. You are the driving force behind this partnership. This conference belongs to you: it is for you, and because of you,” he told the moot, according to a transcript shared by the Foreign Office. “Our government is pursuing an ambitious agenda of economic revival, industrial expansion, and sustainable growth. Over the past four years, we have achieved economic stabilisation, and the economic trajectory today is firmly upward, despite external headwinds,” Dar affirmed. He further said, “Today, you will also hear about another successful joint venture between Servis Group of Pakistan and Long March Tyres of China. Within five years, this joint venture is now about to create a billion-dollar joint venture company.”

PM Shehbaz lands in Hangzhou, kicking off 4-day China visit

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday landed in Hangzhou, kicking off his four-day official visit to China. Zhejiang province’s Vice Governor Xu Wenguang received PM Shehbaz at Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport upon his arrival, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said. China’s Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong and Islamabad’s envoy Khalil Hashmi were also present to welcome him. According to the PMO, the prime minister will meet Zhejiang Party Secretary Wang Hao during his stay in Hangzhou. Detailing his Hangzhou itinerary, the PMO said PM Shehbaz will attend a business forum aimed at promoting cooperation between Pakistani and Chinese companies under the second phase of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC 2.0). He will also participate in a ceremony for the exchange of agreements and Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs). The PMO further said that the premier will engage with the chief executive officers (CEOs) of leading Chinese companies and visit the headquarters of Alibaba Group to strengthen economic cooperation. Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, IT Minister Shaza Fatima, and PM’s adviser Tariq Fatemi were accompanying the premier on the trip. A day earlier, the Foreign Office (FO) had announced that the premier would undertake an official visit to China from May 23 to 26. “The visit assumes special significance as Pakistan and China commemorate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. It will provide an opportunity to reaffirm the abiding strength of the Pakistan-China all-weather strategic cooperative partnership and advance the shared vision of building an even closer Pakistan-China community with a shared future,” it said. During the visit, PM Shehbaz will hold meetings with the Chinese leadership, including President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang. “The two sides will review bilateral cooperation in the political, economic, and strategic domains, with particular focus on the high-quality development of CPEC, trade, investment, industrial cooperation, agricultural modernisation, information technology, science and technology, and people-to-people exchanges,” the FO said. The premier will begin his visit in Hangzhou, where he will chair the Pakistan-China B2B Investment Conference. In Beijing, he will attend a reception hosted by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries to commemorate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China. “The visit is expected to further deepen political trust, strengthen strategic coordination, expand practical cooperation, and consolidate the longstanding friendship between Pakistan and China,” the statement concluded. Separately, FO Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said during his weekly press briefing that the US-Iran war was expected to come up during discussions between PM Shehbaz and the Chinese leadership. “Pakistan and China have maintained close coordination on the standoff in the Middle East and our peace efforts in this regard,” Andrabi said, recalling DPM Dar’s visit to China last month. “We agreed on a five-point principle, which was issued as a joint statement. So, yes, this issue will be discussed during the prime minister’s visit,” he added.

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PM Shehbaz showcases agri, IT, SEZs, mines and minerals as key areas for Pak-China cooperation

PM Shehbaz lands in Hangzhou, kicking off 4-day China visit