Panchgarh Correspondent
Farmers and members of Bangladesh Small Tea Garden Owners' Association formed a human chain in Panchgarh on Thursday demanding to save tea industry by ensuring its fair price and to stop smuggling of tealeaves from across the border.
Several hundred tea farmers of various areas of Panchgarh joined the human chain programme. The organisers of the human chain programme submitted a six point-demand to the government. The demands include- to ensure fair price of tea-leaves produced by the farmers, to set up tea industries under government initiative, to stop import of green tea leaves through illegal way and to stop import of Indian tea leaves.
President of Bangladesh Small Tea Garden Owners' Association Aminul Haque Khokon read out the written statement. He said, the association will submit an appeal containing six-point demand to the Prime Minister through the Deputy Commissioner of Panchgarh. He hoped, the Prime Minister will take necessary action in this connection.
Former Panchgarh Zila Parishad Chairman Advocate Abu Bakker Siddique said, the import of green tea leaves and tea-leaves from India through illegal ways should be stopped. He also demanded to break the syndicate of owners of the tea industries and to ensure a fair price of tea-leaves, otherwise, he said, the small tea farmers would launch further human chain and siege the highway to realise their demands.
Speakers at the human chain threatened to start a greater movement if their demands were not realised.
The human chain programme was addressed, among others, by Kazi Al Tarique, Sadar Upazila Vice Chairman, Akhteruzzaman Shajahan, former Upazila Vice Chairman and Matiur Rahman.
Aftermath of the programme, leaders of STGOA submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister through the Deputy Commissioner of Panchgarh.