Textile

Hasina asserts tangail sari ownership amid Bangladesh-India GI tag row

24 Feb '24
1 min read
Pic: Adobe Stock
Pic: Adobe Stock

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Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina recently made a strategic move to affirm the Bangladeshi origin of tangail saris amid an ongoing dispute over its Geographical Indication (GI) status between Bangladesh and India.

During a media briefing following her visit to Germany for the Munich Security Conference, Hasina reportedly disclosed that she intentionally wore tangail saris in recent days to emphasise their Bangladeshi heritage and counter any claims of ownership by others.

The controversy ignited after India’s ministry of industries reportedly granted GI recognition to the “tangail sari of Bengal,” implying its origin from West Bengal, India.

In response, Bangladesh swiftly took action to secure intellectual property rights for tangail saris, and the Tangail District Administration filed for a GI certificate on February 6, which was granted by the Department of Patent, Design, and Trademarks.

Prime Minister Hasina personally received the GI certificates for three iconic Bangladeshi products, including the tangail saris.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DR)