Tea garden owners in Bangladesh have urged the government to keep the industry out of the purview of the strict nationwide lockdown beginning on July 23.
They made the demand in a letter to the cabinet secretary on Thursday afternoon, stating that the closure of their operations for such a prolonged period would lead to huge losses for the sector.
Following an unprecedented rise in coronavirus-related deaths across the country, the government has decided to impose a 14-day lockdown in a bid to curb the infection rate.
Leaders of the Bangladesh Tea Association, a platform of garden owners, said they raised the demand so that the country’s largest industry could continue production and meet the promises made to both domestic and international buyers.
The tea industry has always played an important role in Bangladesh’s economy, by alleviating poverty in remote regions, including hilly areas, and generating export revenue.
The industry provides opportunities for direct employment to about six lakh people, many of whom have taken up residence at the tea gardens themselves, while another five lakh people are indirectly involved through marketing or other services.
In 2020, Bangladesh produced 86.39 million kilograms of tea worth Tk 1,631 crore, of which 2.18 million kgs worth Tk 34 crore were exported.
Even though similar lockdowns took place last year, tea gardens were allowed to run operations under the prime minister’s directive.
Another argument for keeping the industry open is that those working at plantations adhere to all the health safety guidelines while at work.
However, as soon as they are out of a job, they start breaking these rules by going to different places, according to garden owners.
So, if these establishments are closed, the risk of spreading Covid-19 becomes higher, they said.
Besides, if the tea leaves are left to rot, orders will be cancelled. In addition, the scope to repay bank loans will also reduce, they added.
M Shah Alam, chairman of the Bangladesh Tea Association, said now was the peak season for the industry.
“We counted losses during the off-season. So, if the industry remains closed for two weeks, it will go bankrupt,” he said.
“So, our demand is to keep the tea industry open even if there are restrictions for everything else.”
The association represents 146 tea gardens in the greater Sylhet and Chattogram, the two main producing regions for the popular beverage.
There are 167 tea gardens in Bangladesh.
