Md. Arafat Rahman :
June 4 has been declared ‘National Tea Day’ to commemorate the outstanding contribution of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh MujiburRahmanto the tea industry and the date of his joining as the Chairman of the Tea Board and to consider the role of tea industry in the overall economic development of the country. Bangabandhu made an unforgettable contribution to the development of the tea industry during his tenure as Chairman and later as the Prime Minister after the War of Liberation.
Bangabandhu as Chairman intensified the research activities at the Srimangal Tea Research Station in Moulvibazar and directed the development of high yielding varieties of clone tea plants. Under the direction of Bangabandhu, initiative was taken to plant high yielding varieties of seedlings in rented tea gardens of Karnafuli and Srimangal. He introduced the Contributory Provident Fund for the officers and employees of the Tea Board by amending the Tea Act, 1950, which is still in operation.
Until the independence of the country, tea was cultivated in only two districts in Bangladesh, one in Sylhet district which was known as ‘Surma Valley’ and the other in Chittagong district which was known as ‘Halda Valley’. At present the Surma Valley of Greater Sylhet is divided into six valleys. During the war of independence in 1971, tea gardens were almost destroyed. Bangabandhu took various steps to make this industry a sustainable sector. After independence, he formed the Bangladesh Tea Industries Management Committee (BTIMC).
Bangabandhu arranged for the import of tea industry equipment to rehabilitate the tea factories destroyed during the War. In order to maintain the existence of the tea industry, the then government provided cash subsidy to the tea growers and also fertilizer at subsidized price. The fertilizer supply activities are still going on. He ensured the welfare of the tea workers; Such as free accommodation, potable water, baby care center, primary education and ration. He upgraded the Bangladesh Tea Research Station to a full-fledged tea research institute in 1973. At present it is known as Bangladesh Tea Research Institute (BTRI).
Tea is one of the major exports items of Bangladesh which has long been considered as a foreign exchange earning sector. There are about one and a half lakh people working in the tea industry. It is basically an agro-based, export oriented perennial crop in Bangladesh. In the natural environment, the tea tree grows in the form of a small tree, but the general shape of the tree changes due to pruning and other care such as breaking of buds, proper collection of leaves and buds, etc.
Most of the tea varieties in Bangladesh are hybrid and mixed and they also have different characteristics. Most teas, however, are varieties of dark colored leaves. Forests also play a vital role in the successful and productive development of tea cultivation in Bangladesh. Bangladesh has atmospheric natural forests and planted forest lands. The natural forests here are of the tropical semi-evergreen type. The forests are mainly in the highlands and most of the tea gardens are in the hills and valleys.
Large amounts of forest waste washed away by rainwater often accumulate or get stuck in the tea garden, providing adequate nutrition. In addition, dense and deep natural and planted forests release high amounts of water through perspiration, resulting in high humidity. Forests also play an important role in excess rainfall during most of the year which is very important for tea production. Forests protect tea plants from strong winds and storms blowing over hills and high valleys.
After collection the tea leaves are processed in the factory. Black tea is the most popular and widely used beverage in Bangladesh. The main activity of tea making includes collection of tea buds, processing, rolling, fermentation, drying, baking, custom separation and packing. Making quality tealargely dependent on the quality of collected tea leaves i.e. two leaves anda bud.
The tea industry has made great strides due to various effective measures taken at present. Tea production in 1970 was 31.38 million kg. In 2016, 85.05 million kg of tea was produced. In 2086, 82.12 million kg and in 2019, a record amount of 96.07 million kg and in 2020, 86.39 million kg of tea was produced. Besides, a record amount of 2.17 million kg of tea was exported in 2020. If this trend continues, there will be no need to import tea in the future but the field of export will expand.
In 1980, the number of tea gardens in Bangladesh was 150, now there are 167 tea gardens. The government is implementing a plan titled ‘Development Roadmap: Bangladesh Tea Industry’, which includes 11 action strategies for the development of Bangladesh’s tea industry, which will play a vital role in advancing the country’s tea industry in the future.
(Md. Arafat Rahman is Asst. Officer,Career & Professional Development Services Department, Southeast University).
