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Six more products, including Muslin and Rajshahi silk, is set to get the recognition as geographical indication products of Bangladesh as the Department of Patents, Designs and Trademarks has decided to certify the products as GI ones.
The other products include Kataribhog rice of Dinajpur, Kaligira rice of Bangladesh, Shatranji of Rangpur and white clay of Bijoypur in Netrakona.
The DPDT under the industries ministry in the last three years recognised Jamdani, hilsa fish and Khirsapat mango as GI products of Bangladesh.
DPDT registrar Md Abdus Sattar on Tuesday told New Age that the journals containing the details of the products were published on December 28 as a prerequisite by the law before issuing the GI certificate.
‘The journals will be uploaded on the DPDT web site Wednesday (today) giving 60 days to stakeholders seeking their opinions on the move,’ he said.
The GI certificates will be issued to the applicants if none from home and abroad raises any objection against the move, he added.
Officials said that the Bangladesh Handloom Board applied for GI tag for Muslin and the Bangladesh Sericulture Development Board sought GI recognition for Rajshahi silk.
The Bangladesh Rice Research Institute applied for GI certificate for Kataribhog and Kaligira, two fine quality of rice in the country, the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation applied for Shatranji, one kind of carpet, and the Netrakona Deputy Commissioner’s Office sought GI tag for white clay, they said.
A GI is a name or sign used on certain products, which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin, according to Wikipedia.
The use of a geographical indication may act as a certification that the product possesses certain qualities, is made according to traditional methods, or enjoys a certain reputation, due to its geographical origin, it adds.
The use of GI increases the value of product and it brings additional premium on its price.
The DPDT first in November 2016 recognised Jamdani as GI product of the country.
The department also published two separate gazettes containing the names of Jamdani weavers and permitting them to use the GI logo while marketing their products, including Jamdani sari, both locally and internationally.
BHB, which is now working to revive the famous Muslin as per an instruction of prime minister Sheikh Hasina, said that Muslin was produced from handloom and was one of the purest, simplest, most gentle and most comfortable, perfect fabrics in the world.
It is believed to have originated in Bangladesh during the middle ages, it said.
The textiles and jute ministry is now implementing a project to revive the Muslin fabric.
Sattar said that the demand for Shatranji was also increasing on both local and international markets.
The DPDT is a body of certification but ministries, agencies and trade bodies concerned should work for branding of the GI products to boost its demand in local and international markets, he said.
