Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has pledged comprehensive government support to revitalize Bangladesh’s tea industry, focusing on boosting production, facilitating easy credit, and addressing long-standing structural challenges.
He made the commitment yesterday while presiding over a high-level meeting on the development of the country’s tea sector at the Secretariat in Dhaka, according to a press release.
Assuring tea garden owners of all-out backing, the Prime Minister stated that the government would extend necessary policy, financial, and institutional support to foster sustainable growth across the sector.
To alleviate financial stress on garden owners, Prime Minister Rahman assured that measures would be taken to ease the burden of existing loans and ensure access to low-interest credit for future operations.
In a key green initiative, the Prime Minister revealed that the government is considering permitting tea estates to utilize non-cultivable land for solar power generation. He pledged necessary financial and technical support to implement these renewable energy projects, which could significantly lower operational costs.
Committee Formed for Sectoral Reform
To systematically resolve the industry’s bottlenecks, the Prime Minister directed the immediate formation of a committee comprising representatives from relevant ministries, departments, and tea industry bodies. The committee will identify key challenges and submit actionable solutions.
During the meeting, tea garden owners and industry leaders highlighted major hurdles, including:
Rising production costs and high energy expenses
Limited access to formal financial credit
Severe competition in international markets
They also submitted a comprehensive proposal outlining strategies for the long-term sustainability of the sector.
The meeting was attended by Minister for Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources Iqbal Hassan Mahmood; Minister for Land Mizanur Rahman Minu; Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir; State Minister for Land Mir Mohammed Helal Uddin; Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister ABM Abdus Sattar; alongside prominent tea garden owners and industry representatives.
