3rd tea auction centre set to be launched tomorrow

PANCHAGARH, Aug 31 (UNB): The country's third tea auction centre in the northern district of Panchagarh is set to be launched on September 2.
Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi is expected to inaugurate the centre as the chief guest.
Bangladesh Tea Board and Panchagarh district administration jointly organised a preparatory meeting to this end at the conference room of the deputy commissioner (DC) on Wednesday.
Addressing the event, Tea Board Chairman Major General Ashraful Islam asked the authorities to conduct mobile court drives to curb smuggling of tea.
He said tea cultivation in the district has started due to sincere efforts of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and later it spread across the northern region.
The Tea Board chairman said that over 17.7 million kg of tea worth around Tk 2.60 billion was produced in the district last year, which is 19 per cent of the total production in the country. The district ranks second in tea production.
He said all kinds of preparation have already been completed and the auction will be tendered online and for that warehouses have been built.
Chaired by DC Md Jahurul Islam, the meeting was attended by Tea Board's Joint Secretary Nurullah Nuri, Zila Parishad Chairman Md Abdul Hannan Sheikh and Superintendent of Police SM Sirajul Huda.
The first and second tea auction centres in the country are in Chattogram and Moulvibazar's Sreemangal.