Hilsa recognised as Bangladesh’s second GI product

After Jamdani sari, the fish hilsa has secured recognition as the second geographical indication (GI) product of Bangladesh.

Officials of the Department of Patents, Designs and Trademarks (DPDT) said they have completed the registration process of hilsa as GI product.

The registration certificate will be handed over to the department of fisheries (DOF) within a week, the DPDT officials added.

DPDT’s registrar, Sanwar Hossain on Sunday told Prothom Alo, “The department of fisheries applied to for registration of hilsa as a GI product of Bangladesh. We issued a gazette notification in this regard after scrutinising various aspects of the matter.”

“As per law, anyone from home or abroad can submit a notice of objection against the application within two months of the gazette notification. But none has submitted any such notice and so Bangladesh has secured the GI of this product,” he added.

Sanwar Hossain also said, “The proprietary rights will be handed over to the department of fisheries (DOF) within a week.”

DOF director general, Syed Arif Azad, told Prothom Alo that hilsa is deeply connected to the traditions of Bangladesh. “This achievement is not ours alone, but of the whole nation.”

Bipasha Matin of Build Better Bangladesh (B-Cube), a foundation that stages movements to acquire international recognition of Bangladeshi products, said this makes the path easier for another 70 Bangladeshi products to secure GI.

According to WorldFish, 65 per cent of the world’s total production of hilsa is in Bangladesh while India produces 15 per cent, Myanmar 10 per cent, and the countries around Arab Sea and Pacific and Atlantic oceans produce the rest.

Hilsa production is increasing in Bangladesh whereas decreasing the other countries.

* This piece has been rewritten in English by Shameem Reza