The genesis of Bangladesh Tea may be divided into three distinct Eras of Enterprises:
- Era of British Enterprise (1840-1947)
- Era of Pakistan Enterprise (1947-1971)
- Era of Bangladeshi Enterprise (1971-to date)
Era of Bangladeshi Enterprise:
Bangladesh emerged as an independence nation after a liberation war with Pakistani Army in 1971. The nation embraced a land of having 153 tea estates of 43398ha of plantation and war ravaged tea factories. Most of tea estates had suffered heavily and were in state of ruination financial collapse. Many gardens were closed; many were abandoned by Pakistani owners, some estates were nationalized and taken over by the government from original owners; during last decades, the organizational set up and ownership pattern had changed considerably from a monopolistic to cosmopolitan enterprise. At present about 93% of tea production of the country is produced from 131 estates in Sylhet zone, while 6.5% 21 estates in the zone of Chittagong and Rangamati Hill tracts and only o.5% by 1 estate in Bramanbaria.
Bangladesh tea, despites its present low yield, weak infrastructure, liquidity problems and age-old dependence on foreign enterprises, is now being consolidate and recognized as an important agro-industry of the country. Today Bangladesh tea is occupying about 3% plantation area of world tea, producing as much as 2% of tea production in the world. It occupies the 9th position, out of 29 countries, in tea horizon as regards the plantation size and production-level, while the 8th position regarding per unit production.
