Dhaka, July 26 -- Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Sunday assured tea estate owners of the government's policy, financial and institutional support to help revive and expand Bangladesh's tea industry, directing the formation of a committee to identify the sector's problems and recommend effective solutions.

The assurance came at a meeting on the development of the country's tea industry held at the Prime Minister's Office in the Bangladesh Secretariat, said PM's Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Shiplu.

Owners of tea estates and representatives of the sector briefed the Prime Minister on the industry's current situation, highlighting rising production costs, financing constraints, higher energy costs and the challenge of remaining competitiv...