Bangladesh is advancing efforts to revive the commercial production of Dhakai Muslin, a historic fabric celebrated for its quality and cultural significance, according to State Minister for Textiles and Jute Md Shariful Alam. Speaking at a seminar in Dhaka on October 18, Shariful Alam highlighted the government’s commitment to restoring the traditional textile both as a cultural heritage and a means to generate employment and access international markets.
The seminar, titled “Dhakai Futi Karpas Fiber Genomics and Development,” took place at the CIRDAP Auditorium and focused on the ongoing work to improve the varieties of Futi Karpas, the cotton cultivar essential to muslin production. The event was part of the second phase of a government-led project aimed at reviving the technology to produce muslin yarn and cloth—a craft that largely disappeared some 170 years ago.
Md Shariful Alam described Dhakai Muslin as more than a fabric, referring to it as “a golden chapter of our history” and “an inseparable part of our national identity.” He expressed optimism that full-scale commercial production would resume soon, signaling a revival of the fabric’s legacy.
Officials overseeing the project provided technical updates during the seminar. Textiles and Jute Secretary Sharf Uddin Ahmed Choudhury noted that researchers are working to develop new Futi Karpas varieties with improved agronomic traits. These include reduced dependence on daylight duration, increased cotton yields, larger and more numerous cotton bolls, fewer seeds per boll, and manageable plant heights. Parallel research efforts aim to enhance the yarn's fineness, or “count,” improve quality, and refine the preparatory, weaving, and finishing processes involved in muslin production.
Md Jakir Hossan, Chairman of the Bangladesh Handloom Board, reported significant progress in yarn quality, with spinners now able to produce yarn counts up to 750 metric, a substantial improvement from the initial 80 metric count achieved.
The project’s first phase, which concluded recently with an investment of Tk 12.10 crore, succeeded in restoring the lost technology of creating Dhakai Muslin yarn. The current second phase has a budget of Tk 18.50 crore and continues to focus on both cotton improvement and textile development.
The seminar included international participation, with Ahmed Mohamed Abdelmoghny Abdulbaky, chief researcher at the Cotton Breeding Department of Egypt’s Cotton Research Institute, contributing as a discussant. His involvement underscores the project’s scientific approach and potential for agricultural and textile collaboration.
The government’s efforts to restore Dhakai Muslin represent an integration of cultural preservation with economic development, aiming to re-establish Bangladesh’s historic link to this fine fabric while fostering innovation and commercial viability.