DHAKA : Leading tea gardens, institutions and individuals were honoured today for their outstanding contributions to Bangladesh's tea industry at a ceremony marking the 6th National Tea Day in Sreemangal, the country's tea capital.

The awards were presented at the Auditorium-cum-Multipurpose Hall in recognition of excellence in tea production, quality improvement, exports, labour welfare, innovation and value-added tea products, said a press release here.

Sri Gobindapur Tea Garden received the award for achieving the highest yield per acre, while Madhupur Tea Garden was recognised for producing the highest-quality tea. 

The Consolidated Tea & Lands Company (Bangladesh) Limited was named the best tea exporter.

Among individual recipients, Md. Motiar Rahman of Sonapatila in Panchagarh was honoured as the best small-scale tea producer, while Jasmin Oraon of Nepucha Tea Garden received recognition as the best tea leaf plucker.

 Mirzapur Tea Garden won the award for excellence in labour welfare.

Kazi & Kazi Tea Estate Limited earned awards in two separate categories for innovative marketing and the production of nutritious blended tea.

Sristi Tea Limited of Panchagarh was recognised as the best bottling tea factory.

Local Member of Parliament Md. Mujibur Rahman Chowdhury attended the programme as the chief guest and inaugurated the event.

 Addressing the gathering, he said that tea is deeply linked with Bangladesh's history, economy and the livelihoods of millions of people. 

He stressed the need for collective efforts to raise the industry's standards to a global level and proposed the establishment of a "Sreemangal Tourism Development Authority" to promote international tea tourism.

Bangladesh Tea Board Chairman Major General Md. Mesbah Uddin Ahmed highlighted the sector's ongoing modernization, saying all licensing and related activities have been digitised.

He noted that two mobile applications—"Bangladesh Tea Industry" and "Duti Pata Ekti Kuri"—have been launched to strengthen the industry's database and improve information services.

He also said the Bangladesh Tea Research Institute is promoting value-added products, including jasmine, rose, lemon, masala and chocolate tea, to diversify export opportunities and enhance the competitiveness of Bangladeshi tea in international markets.

Commerce Secretary Md. Ataur Rahman Khan, who presided over the programme, reaffirmed the government's commitment to the sustainable development of the tea sector and improving the living standards of tea workers through fair wages and enhanced social security measures.

The event concluded with a visit to a tea fair organised on the occasion, where guests interacted with producers and consumers. 

Representatives of the Bangladesh Tea Association, Tea Traders Association and other stakeholders also addressed the programme.