Nurul Alam
In a bid to meet rising domestic demand, ensure sufficient export and
boost economic activities in Chittagong hill tracts (CHT), the
government has planned to add the region's 47,000 hectares of land to
the country's tea industry.
Unlike the conventional tea estates, the new tea gardens will be smaller
and each of them will comprise a minimum two hectares of lands. The
government will provide free high yielding variety saplings, training to
the tea growers and help set up factories which will procure and process
the green leaves. The government will also extend loans at soft interest
rate to encourage tea plantation in the area.
The plan taken under a pilot project will cost Tk five crore. On
successful completion of the project, Bangladesh is expected to see
additional 130 million kilogram of tea production.
In 2001, Bangladesh produced a total of 57 million kilogram of tea of
which 42 million kilogram was consumed locally while the rest was
exported. In 2002, production was estimated at 52 million kilogram
against a target of 56 million kilogram.
"The additional lands of tea will help fetch Tk 1300 crore annually
through export as per current price, besides generating employment
opportunities for 5,75,000 people," said Commerce Minister Amir Khosru
Mahmud Chowdhury while addressing a motivational meeting for small
holding tea plantation in the hill districts.
The meeting was held at the hilltop auditorium of Tribal Cultural Centre
in Rangamati last week.
At the meeting, the commerce minister said the tea plantation programme
was taken to bolster economic activities in the three hill districts.
"We want to bring about a total change in CHT economy with the
introduction of tea plantation."
"Such type of development plan will bring economic prosperity in CHT,"
the commerce minister said. He said the government is trying to identify
more items to produce in the hill districts for local consumption as
well as international market.
Deputy minister Moni Swapon Dewan stressed the need for undertaking
economic plan for utilising the potentialities of the region to
spearhead the national development as well as to resolve the problems
facing the hill districts.
The meeting, attended by a cross section of people from CHT, was also
addressed among others by Chairman of Rangamati Hill District Council
Manik Lal Dewan, Chairman of Khagrachhari Hill District Council Nakkatra
Lal Dev Barman, Chairman of Banderbon Hill District Council Mema Ching,
Chairman of Bangladesh Tea Board Brigadier General A.H.M.Tawhid, Chakma
Circle Chief Debashis Roy and Deputy Commissioner of Rangamati Jafor
Ahmed Khan.