About
About Duncan
Duncan Brothers was established 150 years ago when the two Duncan brothers, Walter and William, arrived from Glasgow in 1859 to set up business in Calcutta. Tea was then beginning to become a lucrative business and their focus naturally shifted to tea, which in course of time became their main line of business.
Many major events including changes of partnership, ownership and mergers have taken place in the one and a half century of Duncan Brothers' existence prior to the company becoming part of the Lawrie Group Plc., and finally part of Camellia Plc. "Two Leaves and a Bud" were Duncan Brothers' core business until 1985, when the company decided to diversify by setting up United Insurance and United Leasing, followed by a series of new ventures which gradually turned the company into a group of varied business interests.
Duncan Brothers is now a major group in Bangladesh with a diverse portfolio employing approximately 18,500 people throughout its organisations.
Values & governance
We are a commercial business, but our long-term success depends on our people, our communities and the land we farm. Guided by strong governance and our commitment to the communities we serve, we aim to grow responsibly for generations to come.
Associate companies
Rooted in tea, growing beyond it. Tea was the heart of Duncan Brothers' business until 1985, when we began to diversify and deepen our long-term commitment to Bangladesh. Building on our infrastructure and experience, we expanded into bottled water and warehousing.
Duncan Products Ltd
Pure water, tested every week since 1994. DPL draws water from its own sources at our two plants in Dhaka and Chattogram, then purifies and bottles it under strict hygienic conditions that meet international standards. Our water meets the requirements of the WHO, the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) and the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA). Samples are tested regularly in our own laboratory, every week at ICDDR,B, and further independent testing is carried out in London. ISO 22000 certified; member of IBWA. Email dpl@duncanbd.com, phone 9669251.
Chittagong Warehouses Ltd.
Built for growth. In 2025 we completed a second 14,000 sq ft unit, bringing total capacity to 94,500 sq ft and making CWL one of the largest tea warehouses in Bangladesh. All Duncan Brothers tea is sold at auction in Chattogram, so getting it from our gardens to the warehouse quickly is essential: trucks that once waited up to a week to unload are now turned around in a few hours. The extra space also lets us store teas from other gardens. A legacy since 1950: CWL opened in January 1950 at Fouzderhat, with direct links to the railway and the port, and was expanded in 2002.
Octavius Steel & Company of Bangladesh Ltd.
With roots in tea going back more than 125 years, Octavius Steel is today a sponsor shareholder of Chittagong Warehouses Ltd and runs a customs clearing and forwarding agency from its office in Chattogram, working mainly for the Group.
Duncan Properties Ltd.
Incorporated and registered in November 2005, Duncan Properties Ltd.'s primary business is the management of its property in Dhaka.