Photo: Collected
Speakers at a seminar on Wednesday discussed the immense potential of the tea industry for Bangladesh's economic development. They also highlighted several challenges facing the industry, such as stagnation in tea cultivation, syndication problems, high production costs, and low market prices, all of which are contributing to its decline.
The seminar, titled "The State of Tea Industry in Bangladesh: Problems and Prospects," was organised by the Commonwealth Journalists Association (CJA) Bangladesh at Sylhet Agricultural University (SAU) Hall.
It was presided over by Parveen F. Chowdhury, president of CJA's Bangladesh chapter, and moderated by its General Secretary Osman Gani Mansur.
Sylhet Agricultural University Vice Chancellor Professor Dr. Md. Alimul Islam was the chief guest, while Bangladesh Tea Board Chairman Major General Sheikh Md. Sarwar Hossain attended as the guest of honor.
Prof Alimul Islam highlighted the importance of Sylhet's biodiversity in promoting tea production. He suggested that tea productivity could be boosted by developing drought, insect, and disease-resistant varieties for the region's tea gardens.
He also called for a more export-oriented approach to the tea industry, alongside efforts to meet domestic demand.
He urged for collaboration between Sylhet Agricultural University, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, and the Tea Board to advance the sector, emphasizing that such joint initiatives could help restore the industry's past glory by increasing exports while maintaining high-quality standards.
In his speech, Bangladesh Tea Board Chairman Sarwar Hossain identified labour shortages, management issues, and black-market sales as key factors contributing to the industry's decline.
He said that the Tea Board was taking steps to address these problems. He mentioned that with cooperation from all stakeholders-including tea garden owners and workers-the sector could return to profitability.
Former Sylhet City Corporation Mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury, Mufti Mohammad Hasan representing tea garden owners, Md. Azharuzzaman, director of Maxon Brothers, and Dr. Iftekhar Ahmed, professor at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology's Food Engineering Department, also participated in the discussions.
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