Bangladesh has intensified its efforts to challenge the recent recognition of Tangail Saree as a Geographical Indication (GI) product of India.
Under a diplomatic initiative, the Bangladesh high commission in New Delhi has issued a letter to the Indian ministry of external affairs and requested its action. Besides, the authorities here are preparing for a legal battle against the Indian recognition.
The Indian ministry for commerce and industry had acknowledged ‘Banglar Tangail Saree’ or ‘Tangail Saree of Bengal’ as their GI product on 2 January.
Traders, GI specialists, legal experts, and rights defenders stood firm against the Indian recognition and claimed Tangail Saree to be a product of Bangladesh. Since there is no place called Tangail in India, their ministry’s GI recognition is unjust.
The recognition of Tangail Saree in India triggered a huge outcry in Bangladesh and prompted the district administration of Tangail to hastily apply for the GI of the traditional handloom saree on 6 February.
The Department of Patents, Designs, and Trademarks (DPDT), which operates under the industries ministry, approved the application immediately and forwarded it to the government press for printing in a gazette.
Later, the authorities issued the gazette with GI certification of the Tangail Saree on 8 February. As per the law, the GI status will be secured if there are no objections in the next two months.
As per the GI law of India, there is a scope to lodge objections to any GI recognition within three months of declaration. If Bangladesh wants to dispute the decision, it needs to lodge an objection within 1 April.
With the deadline for objections approaching under India’s GI Act, Bangladesh is gearing up for a legal battle alongside negotiations through diplomatic channels.
Touhidul Islam, a law department professor of Dhaka University, believes that there is scopes to settle disputes between two neighbouring countries over shared products through diplomatic negotiations.
He said the authorities here may approach the Indian registrar for GI for cancellation of Tangail Saree’s recognition, and the Indian appellate board with objection to the GI recognition.
Since the appellate board is ineffective now, their High Court may hear the appeal, he said, adding the issue might be raised at the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) too.
As part of diplomatic efforts, the Bangladesh high-commission in India issued a letter to the Indian external affairs ministry, seeking a solution to the dispute over the GI of Tangail Saree.
The letter made a request to the ministry to take the issue to the authorities concerned and revoke or suspend the GI status of Tangail Saree in India. Also, it proposed bilateral discussion or the formation of a joint technical committee to resolve the issue.
DPDT Director General Munim Hasan told Prothom Alo on Wednesday that they are working sincerely to gain the GI status of Tangail Saree and are conducting efforts at all levels, including the legal channel.
“Tangail Saree is an issue of our national pride and it can never be owned by India,” he said.
Preparation for legal battle
Alongside the diplomatic efforts, the authorities are preparing for a legal battle to attain the GI status of the handloom product.
The industries ministry formed a combined task force to formulate proposals for diplomatic solutions into the dispute. Also, it will take care of the appeal to cancel the GI status and subsequent cases, in engagement with experts.
The task force held its first meeting on Wednesday. A member told Prothom Alo that they decided to appoint a lawyer in India to secure the GI status of the Bangladeshi product.
