Prime Minister Tarique Rahman pledged comprehensive government support to boost Bangladesh’s tea sector, expand its output capacity, and resolve its persistent problems, ordering the immediate creation of a special committee to address these issues.
The directives and assurances were delivered during a high-level meeting on tea sector development, convened at the Cabinet Division within the Prime Minister's Office at the Secretariat, according to PM's Deputy Press Secretary Mostafa Zulfiquar Hasan (Hasan Shiplu).
During the session, tea estate owners and industry delegates outlined the sector’s current challenges, emphasizing escalated production expenses, funding constraints, soaring energy costs, and hurdles in maintaining international competitiveness.
They also submitted a series of recommendations aimed at securing the industry's long-term sustainability.
Shiplu stated that the Prime Minister paid close attention to the delegates' concerns and highlighted the tea sector as a vital pillar of the national economy.
During the meeting, Tarique Rahman stated that his government will extend the necessary policy, financial, and institutional support to promote the industry's growth.
He assured tea garden proprietors that the administration would help restructure existing debt liabilities while facilitating access to low-interest financing.
Furthermore, the Prime Minister indicated that the government would favorably evaluate proposals allowing solar power generation on uncultivable land within tea estates, offering financial backing for such renewable energy projects.
To execute these measures, the Prime Minister mandated the establishment of a committee including representatives from pertinent ministries, governmental divisions, and industry stakeholders to pinpoint existing bottlenecks and recommend effective solutions.
The meeting was attended by Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood, Land Minister Md Mizanur Rahman Minu, Commerce, Industries, and Textiles and Jute Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir, State Minister for Land Mir Mohammed Helal Uddin, Prime Minister's Principal Secretary ABM Abdus Sattar, secretaries of relevant ministries, as well as delegates from tea garden owners and industry associations.
