Emphasizing the multiple uses of tea, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said the government wanted Bangladeshi tea to be developed further and have a worldwide presence.
“We can produce soap, shampoo, and lotion from tea. These are extremely popular in the world and we have the scope to use the residual material left behind by processed tea,” she said while inaugurating the Bangladesh Tea Expo 2018 at Building 4 of the International Convention City Bashundhara (ICCB) on Sunday morning.
The Ministry of Commerce and Bangladesh Tea Board (BTB) have jointly organized the three-day tea expo with the objective of expanding the market by promoting tea related-products as well as boosting production with new varieties.
Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed, Commerce Secretary Shubhashish Bose, and Bangladeshiya Cha Sangsad Chairman Ardashil Kabir also spoke at the occasion, while BTB Chairman Major General Shafinul Islam delivered the welcome address.
Addressing the event, the prime minister urged researchers to not only boost production, but to innovate and create new varieties of tea including species resistant to drought.
Sheikh Hasina noted that “satkora” tea, “tulsi” tea, masala tea, and ginger tea are now being produced in the country. “The Tea Research Institute is conducting research in order to produce cola from tea,” she said.
Mentioning that she often gives tea as a gift to foreign dignitaries, the prime minister stressed on creating attractive packaging to make tea a viable gift, saying that it would also be attractive to customers in foreign countries.
Sheikh Hasina said tea is being produced organically without any chemical fertilizers and pesticides and that green and orthodox teas were being produced in tea gardens alongside CTC black tea.
Gemcon Group Vice-Chairman Kazi Nabil Ahmed MP accepts the ‘Best Tea Company in Diversification of Tea Marketing 2017’ award for Kazi & Kazi Tea from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the inauguration of Bangladesh Tea Expo 2018 in Dhaka on Sunday. Kazi & Kazi Tea is the first and only internationally certified producer of organic tea in Bangladesh. The company produces 11 different kinds of organic tea
CourtesyThese value added teas are being exported to different countries at higher prices. Bangladesh Tea Research Institute has undertaken research on improving the quality and increasing the production of tea along with creating new flavours and finding innovative new ways to deal with pests, she said.
Pointing out that the aim of the government is to improve the living standards of underprivileged communities, the prime minister called upon tea garden owners to focus on the well-being of the labourers they employ.
Bangabandhu’s tea legacy
Recalling the contributions of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to the development of the tea industry, Sheikh Hasina said Bangabandhu became the first Bangali chairman of the Tea Board in 1957.
Under his instructions, the Tea Research Institute was established at Srimangal in Moulvibazar in 1957 and the office of the Tea Board was set up in Dhaka’s Motijheel, she said.
The prime minister continued, saying that the Father of the Nation gave permission to tea garden owners to preserve ownership of up to 100 bighas of land.
Bangabandhu also gave citizenship and voting rights to tea workers, and tea has become our second biggest export due to his epoch-changing steps. After the assassination of Bangabandhu in 1975, steady development stopped and the tea industry suffered a major blow. However her government has always worked for the development of the country’s tea trade following the footsteps of Bangabandhu, she said.
Efforts of the current government
The prime minister said her government, after assuming office in 1996, started work on the development of the tea industry and undertook the Small Tea Cultivation Project.
Sheikh Hasina said her government affirmed Tea Act 2016 and undertook a project to develop large and small tea gardens to boost tea production. It also adopted a master plan titled “Development Roadmap: Bangladesh Tea Industry”; a protocol involving short, mid and long term development plans.
The prime minister said that the country’s tea production in 1970 was only 30 million kilograms. In contrast, tea production now stands at 85 million kilograms due to the implementation of the short-term development plan and will be increased nearly 140 million kilograms in 2025 if the mid and long-term plans are successfully implemented.
At the function, the prime minister released a clone variety (BT-21) of tea and inaugurated the 30-storey “Bangabandhu Cha Bhaban” in Motijheel, Dhaka. She also handed over awards to garden owners who secured first positions in seven categories for their outstanding contributions in the development of the country’s tea industry.
