Finding joy, unity amid struggle

In the heart of the green Fulchhara tea garden, the air was filled with a riot of colours and joy as thousands of tea workers gathered to celebrate the Fagua festival yesterday. It was a rare moment of respite from their otherwise arduous and monotonous lives.

For tea workers in Bangladesh, life is riddled with struggles. They toil hard in the tea gardens, earning meagre wages to support their families. The work is back-breaking, and the hours are long. But once a year, all the tea garden workers come together to celebrate Fagua, a festival of colours.

This year's celebration was a sight to behold. People from different areas, belonging to different ethnic groups with their own language and culture, took part in the festival.

As the bright colours of the abir powder filled the air, people of all ages, children, teenagers and elderlies, danced and sang all day, forgetting their sorrow.

The festival was organised by the "Fagua Utshab Udjapon Parishad" to preserve the heritage of the tea workers. Deputy Commissioner of Moulvibazar Mir Nahid Ahsan inaugurated the programme, while Assistant High Commissioner of India Shri Niraj Kumar Jaiswal attended the event as a guest of honour.

For Bidhan Roy, a tea worker at Phulchhara tea garden, the festival was a time to forget about the difficulties of life. "Our lives are difficult... But during this time of the year, we forget about everything and celebrate the diversity in different tea gardens, celebrate different cultures."

As the day drew to a close, the tea workers returned to their homes, their hearts filled with joy and their minds at peace. The festival of colours may be over, but the memories of this day will live on, reminding them of the power of community, culture, and celebration.