Tangail applies for GI rights for its sari
The district administration of Tangail has applied to get Geographical Indication (GI) rights for its saris.
An application was submitted to the director general of the Directorate of Patents, Industrial Designs and Trade Marks under the industries ministry today, reports our Tangail correspondent.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. "Tangail sari deserves to be recognised as a GI product of Bangladesh in any case. We have been going through the documentation process for Tangail sari recognition as a GI product for the past three months. We applied today," Md Kaiserul Islam, deputy commissioner of Tangail, told The Daily Star.
"Basically, it has been applied after making documentation after collecting the 250 years history of the sari and the information about people's lives and livelihood related to it. The application has already been accepted. We hope to get the GI recognition of Tangail sari soon," he said.
"After receiving the GI recognition of Tangail saris, we will appeal as per the constitution of 'World Intellectual Property Organization'. The GI recognised by India as 'Tangail Saree of Bengal' is in conflict with the interests of Bangladesh. We are optimistic that Tangail sari will be recognised as a GI product of Bangladesh in the final judgment."
The Government of West Bengal in India got the geographical indication rights for the famous Tangail sari of Bangladesh. The announcement came from the official Facebook page of India's Ministry of Culture on February 1.
The post claims: "The Tangail saree, originating from West Bengal, is a traditional handwoven masterpiece. Renowned for its fine texture, vibrant colours, and intricate Jamdani motifs, it epitomizes the region's rich cultural heritage."
Following this, Bangladeshi netizens expressed their outrage towards India on social media for getting GI rights of Bangladesh's products.