Originally posted in The Daily Star on 13 February 2024
Say speakers on GI tag of products; blame lack of coordination for Tangail sari debacle
Due to a lack of coordination among government departments, alongside pre-emptive measures and planning, the country could not claim geographical indication (GI) tag of many of its heritage, said speakers at a discussion yesterday.
GI has multifaceted implications, including commercial and traditional, which may prove costly in future if it is ignored, they also said.
Speakers made such remarks at a discussion on the recent Tangail sari GI issue and its implications for Bangladesh, organised at the initiative of The Daily Star at its office in the capital’s Karwan Bazar.
Supreme Court lawyer Sarwat Siraj Shukla said, “India applied for the GI tag for Tangail sari in 2020. But after they got it in 2024, we woke up.”
“A lack of coordination between government departments prevails in our country. We don’t have any comprehensive list of our heritage in different sectors,” she added.
Dr Fahmida Khatun, executive director of Centre for Policy Dialogue, said GI has legal, historical, anthropological, and commercial implications. “It is also about protecting our heritage,” she said.
“As India claimed the GI tag of Tangail sari, we will now have to think about the market size of India. They can sell the saris at a comparatively lower price than us. No matter how much quality product we produce, we will not be able to sell the products at lower prices than them,” said Fahmida.
“If our workers do not get the return from the market due to this, they will lose interest in their profession,” she added.
While speaking on the recent debate over the name “Tangail Sari of Bengal”, Shwetasree Majumder, IP attorney and managing partner of Fidus Law Chambers, India, said India did not use the word “Tangail” as a geographical location but rather used the word as a trade name and such practice is approved by the GI act of India.
“Nothing is preventing Bangladesh from applying for the GI tag of Tangail Sari. Bangladesh can apply for a joint registration of GI tags of Tangail Sari, or apply for a registration of its own,” she said.
“West Bengal is defining Tangail as a type of sari while you are defining it as a geographical location. So, these are two different products, and two different GI tags will be provided for those and they can co-exist,” she added.
Silmat Chishti, founder of Nobo Design Pvt Ltd and MD of Bangladesh SME Corporation Ltd, moderated the discussion.
Chisti feels that not much has been seen in the media to understand the issue of this specific GI product or the process.
Munira Emdad, proprietor of Tangail Saree Kutir, and Raghunath Basak, president of Tangail Saree Byabshayee Shomiti, also spoke at the event.