Speech-impaired Jewel’s unique tea stall

If you visit Rajarhata in Rajshahi city, a tea stall will draw a lot of your attention. You can take a cup of tea without needing to ask anyone about the bill. The prices of ginger tea, milk tea, coffee and others mentioned on the stall walls. 

It is the scenario of the tea stall run by a speech-impaired young man named Jewel Mia. 

Jewel has hanged some banners on the walls of his tea stall like as "price of all types of good quality ginger tea only Tk ",  "Put (cups and bills) on the table after having tea". 

His tea stall was set up on the pavement adjacent to a wall of the Rajshahi Government City College hostel.   

As he is unable to speak, he has hanged the price list of his products. He started the challenging profession by establishing communication through sign language. Jewel is now solvent by selling different types of tea. 

Jewel's mother Shokrana Bibi said her son suffered speech disorder following Pneumonia at his early age. But he did not lose his inspiration to do something. Rather, he got involved in different professions when he grown up. Now he earns his livelihood as well as helps his family.

She said Jewel keeps his stall open from dawn to 9pm daily except for Friday. 

In a spot visit, a rush was seen at his tea stall in front of the Rajshahi Government City College. Eventually, the rush intensifies in the evening. Customers of Jewel are mostly students. 

Talking to The Business Standard, his relatives and local shopkeepers said Jewel is a hard worker. He puts cent percent attention to his work. But he never opens his stall on Friday. Though high selling rate is potential on that day, he does not pay heed to anyone's request to do so. 

On that day, he enjoys life in his own style. He visits different places on Friday. He roams the city thoroughfares and tries to find out people's taste of teas, they added.

Jewel's elder brother Ashraf Ali said Jewel is very trendy. He has three mobile handsets. He loves travelling. When he is at his tea stall, his works very hard. But during travelling, he stays someday more there if any place attracts him very much.    

At the very beginning, his professional life was not very easy. From his childhood, Jewel tried his luck by selling prickles, eggs, nuts or other items as a vendor at the city's Rajarhata intersection until starting selling tea eight years ago. He needs 40kg milk for the tea stall a day. He also sells lemon tea and coffee. 

Uzzal Hossain, a nearby shopkeeper, said Jewel is doing very well in his business. 

He further said Jewel usually roams different places in the city and tries to know people's taste of tea. He then tries to introduce that at his stall. He loves his stall very much. He accepts his personal harms but he does not accept any kind of harm to his stall. He tries to save his stall at any cost. 

Jewel's younger brother Russel Ali echoed Uzzal. Russel said his brother is very caring about his stall.