Secretary of the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Affairs of Bangladesh Naba Bikram Kishore Tripura with members of the Bangladesh delegation, ICIMOD staff, and the staff of Dabur Nepal's Ashok Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Centre

The Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh hold great promise for the production and commercialization of non-timber forest products such as medicinal and aromatic plants, and honey. Dabur, on the other hand, has expertise in the development and marketing of a range of products. ICIMOD, in its role as a knowledge broker between the two parties, coordinated the visit.

This visit has to been seen in the context of ICIMOD’s renewed emphasis on fostering public private partnership for the development of inclusive and pro-poor value chains of high-value ‘niche’ mountain products and services. ICIMOD’s Support to Rural Livelihoods and Climate Change Adaptation in the Himalaya (Himalica) project, for instance, has been strengthening micro entrepreneurs or new startups to better position themselves along local, national, and regional value chains, as this has the potential to enhance not only the livelihoods and incomes of poor and vulnerable mountain communities, but also market access for their products and services. In Bandarban District of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, the Himalica initiative is developing a climate resilient tourism value chain, with linkages with other products such as honey.

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1. Pankaj Raturi, Head of Dabur Nepal’s Ashok Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Centre, briefing the Secretary and the visiting team about Dabur’s work on honey 2. Raturi briefing the Secretary and the visiting team about Dabur’s work on medicinal and aromatic herbs

Pankaj Raturi, Head of the Ashok Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Centre and his team, received the high-level Bangladeshi delegates with a welcome khada and bouquets of flowers. Raturi showed the delegates Dabur Nepal’s collections of medicinal and aromatic plants and honey products. This was followed by a tour to the medicinal plants nursery cultivated in high-tech green houses. After this, Raturi made a brief presentation of Dabur Nepal’s work and how it is helping farmers in remote mountain areas of the country.

In his remarks, Tripura expressed his sincere thanks to Dabur for the visit. He said he was very happy to visit and see the wonderful work Dabur has been doing to support farmers and the commercialization of products derived from medicinal and aromatic plants. He also mentioned that he is very fond of Dabur and that he uses Dabur products at home. Tripura gave an introduction of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, emphasizing the potential of honey and medicinal plants in this hilly area of Bangladesh. He assured all of support from MoCHTA in establishing a value addition and marketing facility for honey and medicinal plants in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, jointly with local partner(s). He invited the Dabur team to Bangladesh to assess the potential for honey and medicinal plants in districts in the Chittagong Hill Tracts to establish a facility for processing and developing products jointly with local partner(s).

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