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The government has finished all infrastructural work required to inaugurate the “Dhakai Muslin House”, in an effort to bring back the lost glory of Dhakai Muslin and move into commercial production. The inauguration ceremony will take place as soon as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina gives it a green light.
Sources at Bangladesh Handloom Board confirmed that the Dhakai Muslin House, located in Narayanganj, would employ 400 people, including 300 spinners, 45 weavers, and 55 other staff. Among the 400 workers, 350 would be women.
“The project work has been completed,” Dhakai Muslin House Project Director Ayub Ali said while talking to The Business Post.
“So far, we have been able to train 225 spinners even though the goal was 300. We will be able to prepare 74 more spinners by next March,” he said.
The project director mentioned that an unused space owned by Juto FiberGlass Industry was redeveloped for the purpose. The government made use of an unused building of Juto FiberGlass Industry located at Rupganj in Narayanganj.
Weavers have already started working at the handlooms and spinning mills there. The building also houses a display centre, where muslin sarees will be exhibited. There is also a day-care centre for the children of the staff.
“We also had to build a new road so local and foreign clients can come here easily,” he said.
“We are waiting for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to fix a time to inaugurate the Dhakai Muslin House. The official file for the inauguration has already been approved by the PMO,” Ayub Ali added.
“Muslin will soon be added to Bangladesh’s export products list. This will earn a huge amount of foreign currency by exporting muslin from Dhaka and the image of Bangladesh will be bright in the international arena,” Textiles and Jute Minister Golam Dastagir Gazi said about Dhakai Muslin House recently.
“Soon one of the brandings of Bangladesh will be ‘Dhakai Muslin’. Dhakai muslin of golden tradition will once again conquer the world,” the minister added.
Muslin and its glorious history
The legendary muslin is a cotton fabric of plain weave made in a wide range of weights from delicate sheers to coarse sheeting.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, Dhaka was regarded as the location which produced the finest muslins. Early muslin was handwoven out of uncommonly delicate handspun yarn. It was imported from Bengal into Europe for much of the 17th and early 18th centuries.
However, during the period of the East India Company regime, muslin production experienced a period of decline.
In 2013, the traditional art of weaving Jamdani muslin in Bangladesh was included in the list of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.
In 2020, it was given Geographical indication status as a product of Bangladesh due to efforts of the government of Bangladesh, the fourth GI-certified product after Jamdani sarees, Hilsa fish, and Khirsapat mangoes.
A hopeful revival
Through a project of the Bangladesh Handloom Board, the golden heritage of Bangladesh Dhakai Muslin, which was lost 170 years ago, is on its way to being restored.
Through extensive research and research, it has been possible to find the raw material of muslin, Phuti Carpus, cultivation of the plant, and yarn production. These steps made the production of high-quality muslin a reality.
Two muslin sarees of 300-count thread newly made by an artisan of Rupganj were exhibited in the National Museum in 2016. The width of the two sarees was 47 inches.
