Rubber, be it in the CHT, Madhupur or in the tea gardens, may bring some economic benefits to the state and private entrepreneurs, but in general it has not been beneficial to the people who once used these lands.

Rising rubber production in Bangladesh is helping local tyre manufacturers cut the country’s reliance on the imports of the product used in making bicycles, motorcycles, three-wheelers and easy bikes, said an industry insider. 

According to the Bangladesh Rubber Board (BRB) and rubber producers, 67,939 tonnes of latex were produced in the country last year, up 58 per cent from 43,000 tonnes in 2021, driven by an increase in the number of gardens and acreages under cultivation.