A talk about the Silk Road over a cup of tea in Bangladesh

It is always a good idea to begin an interview with cup of tea in Bangladesh. The black tea has become part of the life of the Bangladeshi people. During the interview tour in the country, the hospitable locals treat us with black tea and snacks whenever went.The most impressive was our  interview  with  Syed Ahmed, Additional General Manager of the East Section Chittagong Division of Bangladesh Railway Bureau, on the afternoon of May 14. In his office, just as overwhelmed with the sweltering weather and abstruse railway terms, we were offered black tea with milk and sugar, and our topic shifted to the role that tea has played in Yunnan-Bangladesh relations. I asked curiously, "What is tea in Bengali?" "Cha."
We were all amazed at the resemblance between the pronunciations of the word in Chinese and Bengali, though the two countries are more than a thousand miles apart.

At that moment, we couldn't help wondering: If Yunnan is one of the birthplaces of tea trees inthe world, could the Bangladeshi tea trees have originated from Yunnan? If so, how has this cousin of the Yunnan tea found its way to Bangladesh? When we raised the questions to Syed Ahmed, he explained with a smile that Chittagong has witnessed the commercial activities along the ancient  Southern  Silk Road and the Marine Silk Road and tea has been an important  commodity in the trade between China and Bangladesh."Have you heard of the famous Chinese navigator Zheng He? We are from his hometown Kunming, Yunnan province,  which is a sister city with Chittagong?" At the mention of Kunming, Syed Ahmed nodded, "Of course.

I went to Kunming five years ago. It is a very beautiful city, with blooming flowers and tea shops everywhere." He went on to tell us that a few hundred years ago, a Chinese navigator did come to Chittag­ ong and was warmly welcome by the local people. "I am not sure if he was Zheng He".

"Bangladesh can connect itself with Fujian and other coastal provinces of China via Yunnan, a converging point in implementing  the "One Belt and One Road" initiative, said Dr. Moazzem in a conference room of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), the famous think tank of Bangladesh.  He hoped that Yunnan as a birth place of tea will make new contributions to the revival of the ancient Silk Road and the prosperity of the countries along it.

A talk about the Silk Road over a cup of tea in Bangladesh

It is always a good idea to begin an interview with cup of tea in Bangladesh. The black tea has become part of the life of the Bangladeshi people. During the interview tour in the country, the hospitable locals treat us with black tea and snacks whenever went.The most impressive was our interview with Syed Ahmed, Additional General Manager of the East Section Chittagong Division of Bangladesh Railway Bureau, on the afternoon of May 14. In his office, just as overwhelmed with the sweltering weather and abstruse railway terms, we were offered black tea with milk and sugar, and our topic shifted to the role that tea has played in Yunnan-Bangladesh relations. I asked curiously, What is tea in Bengali? Cha. We were all amazed at the resemblance between the pronunciations of the word in Chinese and Bengali, though the two countries are more than a thousand miles apart. At that moment, we couldnt help wondering: If Yunnan is one of the birthplaces of tea trees inthe world, could the Bangladeshi tea trees have originated from Yunnan? If so, how has this cousin of the Yunnan tea found its way to Bangladesh? When we raised the questions to Syed Ahmed, he explained with a smile that Chittagong has witnessed the commercial activities along the ancient Southern Silk Road and the Marine Silk Road and tea has been an important commodity in the trade between China and Bangladesh.Have you heard of the famous Chinese navigator Zheng He? We are from his hometown Kunming, Yunnan province, which is a sister city with Chittagong? At the mention of Kunming, Syed Ahmed nodded, Of course. I went to Kunming five years ago. It is a very beautiful city, with blooming flowers and tea shops everywhere. He went on to tell us that a few hundred years ago, a Chinese navigator did come to Chittag ong and was warmly welcome by the local people. I am not sure if he was Zheng He. Bangladesh can connect itself with Fujian and other coastal provinces of China via Yunnan, a converging point in implementing the One Belt and One Road initiative, said Dr. Moazzem in a conference room of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), the famous think tank of Bangladesh. He hoped that Yunnan as a birth place of tea will make new contributions to the revival of the ancient Silk Road and the prosperity of the countries along it.