Bangladesh to get GI tag for phuti karpas cotton

The Handloom Board is set to get Geographical Indication (GI) tag for phuti karpas cotton, the key ingredient of legendary Muslin fabrics, as a product of Bangladesh.

Sources said an application had been filed with the Department of Patents, Designs & Trademarks seeking GI for phuti karpas cotton and seed on September 13 last year.

“Hopefully, we will get the GI shortly when Patents, Designs & Trademarks Department would issue gazette after concluding all formalities. Already we have got GI for Muslin fabrics after its recovery after 170 years,” project Director Ayub Ali told the Business Post.

Project Chief scientific officer Prof Dr Md Manjur Hossain found phuti karpas after six years of frantic efforts. The researchers came to know about the phuti karpas from several books including “Dhakai Muslin” written by Abdul Karim and “Species Planterum” written by Swedish author Carolus Linnaeus.

Among them, Carolus Linnaeus suggested that phuti karpas is suitable for making Muslin fabrics which grows in eastern India or Bangladesh. Phuti karpas plants are cultivated mainly alongside the river banks of Sitalakkhya and Meghna.

Early muslin was handwoven of uncommonly delicate handspun yarn. It was imported from Bengal into Europe for much of the 17th and early 18th centuries.

Researchers opined that phuti karpas may have sustained in wild condition around the country. Based on their opinion, plans were made to collect wild cotton samples and plant them in research fields across the country.

As per the plan, the government initiated the search operation while State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam also wrote about it in a Facebook post. Subsequently, a student from Kapasia of Gazipur contacted after seeing the Facebook status and informed that the cotton used to be cultivated in Kapasia area.

During the local administration’s search operation later in March of 2017, nine cotton plants were found there.

Besides, another 38 sample plants were collected from Baghaichhari, Sajek and Langadu of Rangamati, Bagerhat, Lalmonirhat and Kurigram. Researchers spotted similarity between the cotton plant of Kapasia and a sketch found in the book of Carolus Linnaeus which was later sent to Rajshahi University Research field for cultivation.

Currently, phuti karpas is cultivated in lands of Cotton Development Board in Gazipur, Rajshahi University and Handloom Board and the production is expected to reach in March.

Along with that, the government has also initiated to cultivate the cotton plant on the unused 16.89 acres of land of BJMC as Soil Resource Development Institute found positive results after inspecting the soil for phuti karpas cultivation, specialists said.

In 2020, Dhakai Muslin was given GI status as a product of Bangladesh due to efforts of the government which provided international recognition for Muslin origin, weave and thread.

Besides, in 2013, the traditional art of weaving Jamdani muslin in Bangladesh was included in the list of Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.