Swift legal action needed over Tangail Saree GI tag: Debapriya

Bangladesh should take urgent legal action regarding the ongoing issue concerning the registration of Tangail Saree as a Geographical Indication (GI) product of India, said Debapriya Bhattacharya, a distinguished fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD).

"We still have time to act. The first course of action should involve filing a lawsuit under Indian law through the Bangladesh High Commission," he said in a discussion held at the CPD headquarters in Dhaka on Saturday (9 February).

According to the economist, this step is crucial for the protection of the country's intellectual property.

He also urged the government to form a special task force to address all matters related to intellectual property within and outside the country and to adopt a multidisciplinary approach.

"The geographical origin, quality and protection of a product are involved in getting GI recognition. Even if many people moved to West Bengal during the partition, the geographical identity of this saree cannot change"

Debapriya Bhattacharya, a distinguished fellow at CPD

The importance of hiring experienced lawyers in the relevant field to fight the case was also highlighted in the discussion.

Debapriya alleged that false information has been used to create confusion regarding the GI tagging of Tangail Saree.

"The geographical origin, quality and protection of a product are involved in getting GI recognition. Even if many people moved to West Bengal during the partition, the geographical identity of this saree cannot change. India has resorted to fraudulent information to make this saree a GI product," he said.

He further said, "Not only Tangail Saree but now India has also applied for GI recognition of muslin as Bengal Muslin. However, muslin is a heritage of Bangladesh, and Bangladesh has already given it GI recognition under the name Dhakai Muslin."

Mustafizur Rahman, a distinguished fellow of CPD, said at the event, "Mere procedural errors can lead to defeat in international intellectual property arbitration. So we have to proceed with caution and skill."

The discussion highlighted that Bangladesh needs to be careful about the products that are popular in both countries.

Speakers recommended that Bangladesh become a member of the Lisbon Agreement for the Protection of Appellations of Origin and their International Registration to ensure proper protection of these products.

It was also mentioned that the World Trade Organization's Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights can also provide protection here.

Over the past week, debates have emerged on social media regarding India's classification of Tangail Saree as a product originating from West Bengal which raised questions about legitimate ownership of its GI tag.

On 2 January, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry of India granted GI recognition to the product.

However, the issue came to the fore after a post on the verified Facebook page of the Ministry of Culture of India on 1 February, announcing the recognition. 

The Indian ministry claimed that the Tangail Saree originated in West Bengal.

Meanwhile, on 7 February, the Department of Patents, Designs and Trademarks (DPDT) under the Ministry of Industries recognised the Tangail Saree as a GI product of Bangladesh