High Court orders listing of GI products across Bangladesh

The High Court on Monday asked the government to submit a list of Geographical Indication certification products, which are registered and required to be registered in home and abroad.

The court asked the secretaries of the ministries of the industries, the commerce, the textile and the jute, the agriculture and the culture, and the director general of Department of Patent, Design and Trademarks to submit the list to the court by March 19.

The bench issued the directive after hearing a writ petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer Shukla Sarwat seeking a directive to protect rights of Jamdani Saree and other GI products.

The court also asked the authorities to explain in four weeks why their inaction both nationally and internationally, resulting not be identified, registered and protect the Geographical Indications of natural and agricultural products, handicrafts and foodstuff attributable to Bangladesh as their place of origin would not be declared illegal.