Bangladesh has started legal battle against India鈥檚 claim that Tangail saris were originated in West Bengal, and appointed an Indian law firm to file a case against the geographical indication registration of the local products.
The industry ministry officials informed about the development to the High Court on Monday responding to a ruling issued by the court on February 19 over the matter.
The ministry decided to assign law firm Mason and Associates in this regard.
The ministry also submitted to the court a list of 33 products of 64 districts, which have got GI tag.
It also submitted the names of over 100 products which await getting GI tag.
The names of famous products of the 64 districts would be included by phases as it is a continuous process, the ministry said.
The bench of Justice Muhammad Khurshid Alam Sarkar and Justice SM Maniruzzaman also asked the industries ministry to submit the development to the court on May 20 through an affidavit.
The bench on February 19, asked the secretaries of the ministries of industries, commerce, textiles and jute, agriculture, and culture and the director general of the Department of Patents, Design, and Trademarks to explain in four weeks why their inaction to recognise nationally and internationally famous natural and agricultural products, handicrafts, and foodstuffs of Bangladesh as GI items would not be declared illegal.
The court also asked the authorities to submit a list of products that received registration as GI products and were required to get GI tags at home and abroad.
The court issued the ruling after hearing a writ petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer Sarwat Siraj seeking a directive to protect the rights of Jamdani Sari and other Bangladeshi famous products as the GI products.
Sarwat said that she filed the writ petition against the backdrop of West Bengal in January 2024, getting a GI tag for five products, including Sundarbans Honey and Nadia鈥檚 Tangail Sari.
The India鈥檚 Culture ministry鈥檚 claim sparked outrage from netizens as the traditional tant saree is widely considered to have originated from Bangladesh鈥檚 Tangail district.
Lawyer Sarwat said that she felt aggrieved by the inaction of the authorities over the matter.
She said that India registered over 500 GI goods, of which 21 were also fit to be registered as GI goods of Bangladesh.
