THE government鈥檚 failure to protect the intellectual property of agricultural or cultural artefacts with unique ties to the geography and history of Bangladesh is unacceptable. That the government has been negligent, or slow, in having registered geographical indication tag for unique products and ensuring the production and marketing of the products is evident from India鈥檚 having registered the Sunderban honey as its GI product although Bangladesh has a rightful claim to it, produced in a forest that largely falls in Bangladesh. West Bengal in India earlier had GI rights registered for the famous Tangail sari of Bangladesh. In the case of Sunderban honey, the Bagerhat deputy commissioner filed an application for the GI tag on August 7, 2017 but did not receive the registration while the West Bengal Forest Development Corporation Ltd applied for the right on July 12, 2021 and received the tag on January 2, 2024. Such a delay in GI registration suggests negligence and inefficiency on part of the authorities. Bangladesh also had the chance to object while India was working with the registration for Sunderban honey, but Bangladesh did not take the chance.
The geographical indication marks a product鈥檚 authenticity and origin and the sign is used to certify that a product possesses unique characteristics for factors such as origin, climate, culture, manufacturing method or even raw materials. The GI tag is also important as it gives the countries of origin special marketing rights and legal protection. Bangladesh has many products that are eligible for GI tag, but the authorities have been either negligent or slow in having them registered. While India began GI registration process 10 years before Bangladesh and has so far been given 421 products with GI tag, including some products that Bangladesh can rightfully claim, Bangladesh has only 21 products registered with GI tag since the formulation of the Geographical Indication (Registration and Protection) Act 2013 until 2023. The authorities gave GI tag to 10 more products in February鈥揂pril after India secured the tag for the Tangail sari, which questioned the government鈥檚 failure to get GI tag despite being a rightful claimant. What is also concerning is that Bangladesh has not reaped any benefits from the GI-tag products as the label has not been used to promote them.
The authorities, especially the Department of Patents, Designs, and Trademarks, must, therefore, be proactive to register all unique products for GI tags. The authorities must design logos and packaging materials for GI products, enlist them with buyers鈥� associations and other trade bodies and promote, brand and market them for economic advantage. The authorities should also look for ways for joint protection of shared GI with India and put the legal framework in place to avoid tension.
