Rows of colourful jute bags catch the eye as visitors enter the Jute Diversification Promotion Centre in Farmgate. Some feature red-and-green traditional motifs, while others resemble minimalist shopping bags of foreign brands.
Nearby, macramé bird nests hang from a stall, and a woman entrepreneur explains to a foreign buyer how Bangladeshi jute ropes are used in European shipping and construction industries.
Across the fairgrounds, the smell of raw jute blends with nostalgia and renewed hope. Once the backbone of Bangladesh’s economy, the “golden fibre” is now seeking a comeback as fashion accessories, home décor, eco-friendly lifestyle products, and sustainable export goods for global markets.
The five-day multipurpose jute products fair, which began on Tuesday, features stalls that showcase handmade bags, home décor items, fashion accessories, and export-oriented products.
Entrepreneurs detailed both opportunities and struggles. “People once thought jute only meant sacks. Now they are surprised to see travel bags, office bags, and jewellery boxes,” said Mahtab Uddin Rana, founder of Ana Jute Crafts, who displayed over 160 products ranging from tissue boxes to corporate gift items priced between Tk20 and Tk5,000.
“Foreign buyers prefer these products over plastic, but fluctuating raw jute prices make survival difficult,” he added. Ayesha Akter Munni of Rafi Enterprise and Bindu Eco Trade said her products, priced between Tk150 and Tk1,000, are popular locally and exported abroad, though sourcing raw materials and financing remain challenges.
Deepa, founder of Rahela Jute Craft, exports to nine countries including Japan, Nepal, and Thailand, and employs around 200 divorced and abandoned women in her Jhenaidah factory. “Many had never worked outside their homes before. Employment creation remains my greatest achievement,” she said.
Hossain Bangla Jute Handicraft highlighted the rising local demand for floor mats and wall hangings, while Makgn Handicraft exports table mats, coasters, and macramé bird nests to Japan, Dubai, and London, generating at least Tk500,000 annually.
Officials emphasised the sector’s potential to become a $5–7 billion industry through modern technology, research, seed production, and inclusion of small entrepreneurs.
Khandaker Abdul Muqtadir noted that after independence, nearly 90 per cent of export earnings came from jute, though current exports contribute roughly $1 billion of the country’s $50–55 billion export earnings.
Md Shariful Alam added that expanding the jute industry would generate employment and strengthen rural economies.
Despite challenges, the fair highlighted a gradual transformation of Bangladesh’s jute sector into a design-driven, lifestyle-oriented, and export-focused creative industry.
Entrepreneurs and officials alike expressed optimism that with coordinated planning, modernisation, and financial support, the golden fibre can regain its global significance while empowering communities and small businesses across the country.
