DHAKA, Sep 2, 2023 (BSS) - The country's third tea auction center has been opened in Panchagarh in a bid to ensure fair price of raw tea leaves.

Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi formally inaugurated the centre today in Panchagarh.

Addressing a function marking the inauguration, organized at Panchagarh Government Auditorium, the Commerce Minister said that the country's third tea auction center has been launched in Panchagarh to ensure fair price of raw tea leaves for the tea farmers, said a press release.

"This will reduce the cost of the tea producers," he added.

Tipu said that with the opening of the third tea auction center, the long-standing demand of the tea farmers and tea producers of the region has been fulfilled.

"So far tea auctions were held only in Chattogram and Srimangal. Now the tea growers of this region will get many benefits," he added.

The commerce minister also said that the Tea Board and the administration will enforce laws if necessary to ensure that the tea farmers get fair prices for raw tea leaves.

He said that due to the geographical locations, the tea producers in the northern region including Panchagarh had to bear various kinds of hardships including high transport costs to take tea to Chattogram.

In order to solve this problem, the tea gardens concerned and the chamber leaders have long been demanding to set up a tea auction center in Panchagarh.

In view of this demand, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina approved the establishment of a tea auction center in Panchagarh.

Following the Prime Minister's interest, the Ministry of Commerce and the Tea Board took necessary measures to set up a tea auction center in Panchagarh.

Railways Minister Advocate Md. Nurul Islam Sujan, Member of Parliament of Panchagarh-1 Constituency Majaharul Haque Prodhan, Commerce Ministry Senior Secretary Tapan Kanti Ghosh, Bangladesh Tea Board Chairman Major General Ashraful Islam, Rangpur Divisional Commissioner Md. Habibur Rahman, Zila Parishad Chairman and Panchagarh Chamber President Abdul Hannan Sheikh, Police Super SM Sirajul Huda, District Awami League General Secretary Anwar Sadat Sarat spoke, among others.

President of Small Tea Garden Owners and Tea Traders Association of Bangladesh Amirul Haque Khokon gave the welcome address on the occasion.

At present, tea is cultivated on some 10,240 acres of land in Panchagarh. Over the years, some 8 registered and 20 unregistered tea gardens, 7, 338 smaller and 1,368 small tea gardens have been developed here.

Besides, tea is being cultivated in the neighboring districts of Thakurgaon, Dinajpur, Nilphamari and Lalmonirhat.

Bangladesh Tea Board Chairman Major General Ashraful Islam said that after Chattogram and Srimangal, Panchagarh is the third tea auction center in the country.

 Panchagarh is the second tea region of the country in terms of production. Last year, some 1 crore 77 lakh 79 thousand kilograms of tea were produced in 25 factories in the district with a market value of Taka 260 crore.

Some 19 percent of the country's overall tea is being produced in Panchagarh.

The auction of this center will be conducted online. For this, brokers and wire houses have been constructed.