Two BRUR students win national first place with bamboo-leaf tea idea, get Tk 100,000 fund

Two students of Begum Rokeya University (BRUR) have won first place at national level with an innovative business idea to produce eco-friendly tea from bamboo leaves. They will receive a fund of Tk 100,000 to implement the initiative.

They achieved the success on Wednesday (28 October) at a competition held in Mohammadpur in the capital, competing against 239 teams.

The winning students are Md Maidul Islam Mahid and Md Azizul Islam, both from the 14th batch of the university's Department of Disaster Science and Management. Together they presented a business idea for producing an alternative, eco-friendly tea using bamboo leaves.

Talking to the students, it was learned that Mahid planned the initiative considering the potential uses of bamboo leaves and the growing demand for eco-friendly products. He then applied to the competition together with his classmate Azizul Islam. After qualifying through the selection round and taking part in a bootcamp, they presented their innovative idea in the final round, securing first place among 239 teams.

The winning students said the judging panel included representatives from Unilever, Green Voice, The Earth Society and the British High Commission.

Speaking about their initiative, Md Maidul Islam Mahid said: "We were thinking about whether bamboo-leaf tea could be worked on in Bangladesh. There is a market for such promising products around the world. From that thought, I applied to the competition with Azizul. Later we were selected, joined the bootcamp, and in the end managed to win first place."

He added: "Bamboo leaf is an important natural resource for the environment. It contains silica, potassium and various other elements, along with antioxidants. We want to use this potential of bamboo leaves to bring an eco-friendly tea to the market."

According to the entrepreneurs, bamboo-leaf tea could be a promising alternative drink for health-conscious consumers. However, more scientific testing is needed to confirm its nutritional value, health benefits and suitability for commercial production.

The two students see winning first place nationally and the chance to receive Tk 100,000 in funding as an important step towards realising their initiative. They hope that, with the necessary research and planning, an easily available natural ingredient like bamboo leaf can be used to build a new market for eco-friendly products in the country.