Dhaka, Dec. 6 -- The Bangladesh Tea Board (BTB) has requested the customs authorities not to allow any tea import consignments without prior approval from the regulator, sources said

The move comes amid growing concerns over the influx of foreign tea brands into local super shops despite having no official permission for such imports in recent years, they said.

The BTB in a letter recently urged the National Board of Revenue (NBR) to take necessary steps to this effect.

A large quantity of unauthorised foreign brands of tea has entered into the market through the country's ports, posing a direct and significant threat to the domestic tea industry, according to an industry insider.

Under the section 22 of the Tea Act, 2016, obtaining a...