1. Purpose of the study
The report is intended to provide information on what type of people gather at tea stalls and their
interest towards the discussions that take place there frequently. I plan my questionnaire to relate
the age, occupation and basic concept of general people about different social issues with the
possibility to make an intangible social awareness campaign.
2. Problem statement
The research is on “Whether tea stalls can be used to raise social awareness.” Since issues
belonging to social, cultural, political, economic and others are demanding solutions via awareness
among mass people, places of public gatherings have become important to discuss and spread
messages around. Tea stalls have been a part and parcel of our everyday life. So a research would
be useful on whether the gatherings at tea stalls can be used to raise social awareness among
people.
3. Literature Review
Tea Stalls or Tongs
Tea is a very popular drink in Bangladesh – more so because even teenagers like it! But the dividing
line is where the tea is made and drunk. Older people prefer drinking tea at home, whereas
youngsters prefer theirs at the more popular outdoor tea stalls known as tongs. These are usually tiny
stalls made of sheets of corrugated iron. They sell a variety of foodstuffs, the most common of which
are tea and coffee. However, a stall is not a proper tong unless it carries a wide variety of cigarettes,
too. Originally meant for low-income earners, these stalls are now popular among teenagers as
hangout spots. The tea itself is served in something not big enough to be a cup and not quite small
enough to be called a thimble. People usually prefer the drink served with a huge drop of condensed
milk. (The Colourful Cuisine of Dhaka, Bangladesh, 2007)
Tea Stalls in Bangladesh:
The history of the Bangladeshi tea industry dates back to around 1823 when tea started to be grown
for commercial purposes in the Assam forests. In 1855, the Assam indigenous tea plant was
established in the Chandghani Hills of Sylhet. Near about the same time, wild tea was found growing
in the Khasiand Jainta Hills. Around 1840, tea plantations started developing in Chittagong. The first
commercial tea plantation was established in 1857 in Mulnichera, Sylhet In recent times, tea has
become one of the most popularly consumed and widely available drinks in Bangladesh, and indeed,
in the rest of the world.(Mimi, 2011)
Tea Stalls in Dhaka City:
Dhaka is addicted to ‘Cha’. Fuel of the nation, cha (tea) is sold every few meters from stalls in the
streets of Dhaka. These sweet, milky, hot cups of tea are a Bangladeshi style caffeine fix. Rickshaw
drivers claim to drink up to 20 cups a day. If it can give them the power to fight their way through
Dhaka, there must be something special about it (Bennett, 2012). Many people will tell you a good
cup of tea can make pretty much anything better. Judging from the popularity of these lively tea
stalls in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, as captured in images by iReporter Mohamanob, this
sentiment is shared widely in the country. These small businesses provide raw tea (no milk, often
with Spices) or tea with milk, scalding hot and often served with light snacks to be eaten quickly
before workers dash on to their jobs. “If there is room for sitting At the stalls, people sit there, take
tea and gossip until the drink ends,” he says. “When finished, they leave the place for others.”
(Mohamanob, 2013).
4. Benefits of the study:
From the literature review, I am jotting down one portion below to describe the scopes of using tea
stalls to raise social awareness.
