Tea Industry of Bangladesh

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I had a few free days so I decided to visit the tea plantation district of Bangladesh which is on the border of India. Bangladesh is the 10th largest tea producer in the world. This industry employs over 4 million people in this region of the country. Tea production dates back to British rule when the East Indian Company started the tea trade in the hills of Sylhet and Srimangal.

I decided to fly to the region and then take a train from one area to the next to enjoy the scenery. Upon landing it was wonderful to see the lush greenery and smell the crisp clear air. After Mexico City, Dhaka is the most polluted city in the world so this was a welcome change of pace..

I stayed at a lovely nature retreat up on a hilltop overlooking the tea plantations. My first day I visited the Ratargul Swamp Forest, one of the few freshwater swamp forests in the world. The forest is submerged under 20–30 feet water in the rainy season. For the rest of the year, such as my visit, the water level is about 10 feet deep.

I then took my first train ride in Bangladesh. The staff was very helpful and the fellow passengers were friendly, frequently coming up to me to ask me where I was from, where are my friends, and where am I headed. I have learned to always tell people I am meeting friends when I am alone. If I don’t they either want to join me or are very concerned that I am traveling alone.

While in Srimangal I visited the Lawachara National Park where I met a very interesting tour guide who took me through the forest to see monkeys and other animals. We ended up in a small village where a friend of his invited us to her home for sweet milk tea.

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Comments

[Donna Lowry]

We feel the refreshment
Wonderful!