Demand for justice grows as tea workers protest domestic worker Preeti's death

The death of 15-year-old domestic worker Preeti Urang has ignited protests across Sylhet, demanding justice and punishment for those responsible.

Preeti fell to her death from the 8th floor of The Daily Star Executive Editor Syed Ashfaqul Haque's residence in Dhaka's Mohammadpur on 6 February.

The next day, her father, Lokesh Urang, filed a case with Mohammadpur police station, naming journalist Syed Ashfaqul Haque and his wife, Tania Khondoker. Following the filing of the case, both accused were promptly arrested.

Lokesh and his wife, Namita Urang, work in the Mirtinga Tea Garden in Kamalganj upazila of Moulvibazar. A protest rally was convened at the Mirtinga Tea Garden on Sunday afternoon, jointly organised by the Urang Language and Culture Protection Committee and the Tea Workers' 10-point Settlement Struggle Committee.

Presided over by Puran Urang, general secretary of the Urang Language and Culture Protection Committee Kamalganj upazila unit, the rally drew attention to the need for a fair investigation and trial into Preeti's death.

During the rally, Lokesh Urang said, "Preeti was employed at the residence of Daily Star Executive Editor Syed Ashfaqul Haque through Mintu Deshwara, the newspaper's correspondent in Moulvibazar district. Throughout her employment, our opportunities to communicate with her were limited.

"On the day Preeti passed away, Mintu Deshwara summoned us to Sreemangal. From there, he escorted us to Dhaka, informing us that our daughter was seriously ill. Upon reaching Dhaka, he immediately took us to the police station, where we received the heartbreaking news of our daughter's demise. We returned home with her lifeless body."

"All we seek is justice for our daughter's untimely death," he added.

Other participants at the rally included Jaharlal Dutt, a member of the central committee of the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) Moulvibazar district; Dipankar Ghosh, a member of the Socialist Party of Bangladesh district committee and general secretary of the Tea Workers' Federation; SM Shubho, coordinator of the Tea Workers' 10-point Settlement Struggle Committee; journalist Sitaram Bin; Bishwajit Nandi, district president of Chhatra Front; Preeti's mother and Puran Urang.

The participants pointed out that instead of sending Preeti to school, Mintu Deshwara made her work at the house of the newspaper's executive editor. This action violated the country's laws, and he failed to assess the working conditions and security measures there.
Mintu Deshwara did not respond to calls from The Business Standard seeking comments in this regard.

The participants also said that a few months ago, another child domestic worker named Ferdausi had fallen from Syed Ashfaqul Haque's residence, sustaining injuries. Despite her mother filing a case with the police station, justice was not served. 

It is now crucial for tea workers to not only demand justice for Preeti's death but also to initiate a strong movement aimed at improving the overall living standards of tea workers. This movement should address the issue of child labour in the tea industry to prevent more children from dropping out of school, the participants added.

After the protest rally, the leaders of the Urang Language and Culture Protection Committee submitted a memorandum to the home minister through the Kamalganj upazila administration demanding a fair trial.

A human chain was also formed in Kamalganj in support of the same demands. 

The human chain was presided over by Sanjoy Baury, a primary care physician at the local tea garden. Participants in the human chain included Rahimpur UP Chairman Iftekhar Ahmed Badrul, Mirtinga Tea Garden Panchayat President Montu Alamik, and Awami League leader Surutyan Kanti Baidya.

The participants demanded a fair investigation into the incident and the highest punishment for the perpetrators. The human chain was attended by tea garden workers, local people and public representatives, including more than 500 tea workers.

Human Rights Forum Bangladesh also called for a thorough investigation into and fair prosecution of Preeti Urang's death, reads a press release.

It may be recalled that on 6 August last year, another domestic worker, Ferdausi, fell from the balcony of Syed Ashfaqul Haque's home and was seriously injured. She was rescued and treated first at Suhrawardy Hospital and later at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Josna Begum, mother of the injured domestic worker, then filed a case with Mohammadpur police station mentioning the names of Syed Ashfaqul Haque, his wife Tania Khondoker and another person named Asma Akhtar.