Four female tea garden workers were killed in a landslip at a tea garden in Sreemangal upazila of Moulvibazar district on Friday morning amid their ongoing strike demanding an increase in their daily wages.
The deceased were identified as Hira Bhumiz, 34, wife of Swapan Bhumiz, Rina Bhumiz, 22, wife of Mintu Bhumiz, Radha Mahali, 45, wife of Arun Mahali, and her daughter Akash Mahali, 18,. All were workers of Lakhaichhara Tea Garden of the upazila, fire service said.
A chunk of mud from a hill fell on the workers in Lakkhichara tea garden of Kalighat union around 1pm while they were digging soil from the hill for repairing their home, leaving the four dead on spot, said Abdul Kadir, team leader of Sreemangal Fire Service and Civil Defense.
Mamun Rashid Talukder, officer-in-charge (oc) of Sreemangal police station, said police were deployed at the spot.
The country's tea garden workers have been on a strike for over a week to demand that their daily wages are raised from current Tk120 to Tk300.