The fibres of gold

Two things from our land have attracted the world for a very long time.

If one of them is Muslin, then the other is jute. Golden Bengal Jute or Suvarnasutra is one of the most renowned natural fibres in the world.

And so, the Arab merchants, the Mughal emperors, the Pathan warriors, the Maratha and Portuguese pirates, the Dutch looters, the French artists or the English colonists all had their eyes set on Bengal.

Despite the value of the fibre, the lives of our jute cultivators, jute-fibre artisans and hardworking mill workers have been full of misery.

Today, it is quite shocking that the price of jute is less than the cost of jute cultivation per bigha.

In this photo story, I tried to document the whole process of jute production: from taking care of the plants to marketing. 

Jute farmers weeding the field. Photo: Din Muhammad Shibly

Jute plants are being cut. Photo: Din Muhammad Shibly

Jute plants are soaked in water prior to removal of the fibre. Photo: Din Muhammad Shibly

Removing the fibres. Photo: Din Muhammad Shibly

The making of jute. Photo: Din Muhammad Shibly

Ready to go to market. Photo: Din Muhammad Shibly

The final output. Photo: Din Muhammad Shibly

Din Muhammad Shibly has been working as a documentary photographer since 2003. His prime area of interest in photography encompasses environmental and socio-political issues. Shibly is the founding principal of "Chhaya Institute of Communication and Photography" and the editor of a photography-based newspaper "Aalo".