- Special Correspondent:
Bangladeshi Bangalees at home and abroad may be unable to claim Tangail sarees and Sundarbans honey as their own unique treasures. These two heritage items, along with three other products, have been registered as Geographical Indications (GIs) under the Indian government’s central GI portal.
Claimed as resources of the West Bengal state, GI status of Tangail, Garad and Kariyal sarees, Sundarbans honey and Kalonuniya rice from Jalpaiguri, is just a formality.
The West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has also congratulated the saree weavers of Bengal on this achievement. Tangail and Garad sarees are also renowned worldwide. Whereas, Tangail Saree is originated from Bangladesh.
Tangail is the central north district of Bangladesh and it is famous for sarees named with Tangail.
History says at the end of the 18th century, the Zamindars or the Landlords of Tangail had invited some Musline weavers from Dhaka to settle in Tangail and develop new varsities of fabrics. Many weavers migrated to Tangail and they produced sarees consequently. Tangail Saree has an unusually fine and smooth texture with a pattern running through every alternate or every two weft threads apart.
After the partition of India in 1947, many weavers from Tangail and other parts of Bangladesh migrated to India. They were rehabilitated mainly in the West Bengal. Phulia, close to Shantipur, became a new home for these weavers from Tangail.
The West Bengal authorities hope that GI status will benefit the weavers and others associated with these sarees by improving branding and fetching better prices.
Regarding honey, the West Bengal Forest Development Corporation filed a claim for GI status for Sundarbans honey with the state Department of Science and Technology in January 2021. Earlier, a Pune-based company had also applied for GI rights, but the West Bengal authorities successfully contested their claim.
However, the Sundarbans, a world heritage mangrove forest, has two-thirds of its around 10 thousand square kilometers of area located Bangladesh and rest in India
Jalpaiguri’s fragrant Kalonuniya rice, known as the “Prince of Rice,” has black grains that cook to a pale white color. It is popular for making various types of pilau. It is grown in Nagarakat, Dhupaguri, Haldibari, and Raiganj.
Unlike other rice varieties that yield 15 maunds per bigha, Kalonuniya rice yields only 8 maunds.
