Rajshahi silk is the name given to the

silk Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the ...

products produced in

Rajshahi Rajshahi ( bn, রাজশাহী, ) is a metropolitan city and a major urban, commercial and educational centre of Bangladesh. It is also the administrative seat of the eponymous division and district. Located on the north bank of the P ...

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...

. It is famous because it is a high quality fabric used for clothing, especially for

sari A sari (sometimes also saree or shari)The name of the garment in various regional languages include: * as, শাৰী, xārī, translit-std=ISO * bn, শাড়ি, śāṛi, translit-std=ISO * gu, સાડી, sāḍī, translit-std ...

s. In 2021, it was given

Geographical indication A geographical indication (GI) is a name or sign used on products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin (e.g., a town, region, or country). The use of a geographical indication, as an indication of the product's source, ...

status as a product of Bangladesh.

History

Records date the beginning of silk production in the region to the 13th century. It was then known as Bengal silk or Ganges silk. The government of Pakistan started silk production in Rajshahi in 1952. The Rajshahi Silk Factory was a state owned factory which was founded in 1961. In 1978 it was handed over to the

Bangladesh Sericulture Development Board The Bangladesh Sericulture Development Board is a regulatory board in Bangladesh that is in charge of sericulture and is based in Rajshahi, Bangladesh. History The Bangladesh Sericulture Development Board was formed in 1978 through the Presidenti ...

. Since then it has been making a loss. It was closed down on 30 November 2002. Before 2002300 tonnes of strings were produced by this factory. In 2011 it was only 50 tonnes. In 2011 the finance minister of Bangladesh,

Abul Maal Abdul Muhith Abul Maal Abdul Muhith (25 January 1934 – 30 April 2022) was a Bangladeshi economist, writer, civil servant, secretary, diplomat and politician. He served as the Finance Minister of the government of Bangladesh from January 2009 until January ...

, expressed interest in reopening the Rajshahi silk factory but the Privatisation Commission refused on the grounds that it was a loss making concern.

Types

Silk fibers, Sopura Silk Mills Limited (01)

Rajshahi silk is like all other kinds of silk made from the cocoons of silkworms. The very thin fibers resulting from this process are covered with

sericin Sericin is a protein created by ''Bombyx mori'' (silkworms) in the production of silk. Silk is a fibre produced by the silkworm in production of its cocoon. It consists mainly of two proteins, fibroin and sericin. Silk consists of 70–80% f ...

, a special

protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, res ...

. There are mainly three varieties of silks: * Mulberry silk *

Eri silk Eri silk (Khasi'': Ryndia)'' is the product of the domesticated silkworm '' Samia ricini'', found mainly in North East India and some part of China and Japan. It was imported to Thailand in 1974. The name "eri" is derived from the Assamese word ...

(Endi silk) and *

Tassar silk Tussar silk (alternatively spelled as tussah, tushar, tassar, tussore, tasar, tussur, or tusser, and also known as (Sanskrit) ''kosa'' silk) is produced from larvae of several species of silkworms belonging to the moth genus '' Antheraea'', incl ...

. Among these varieties, Mulberry silk is the finest and is therefore the most valuable. Clothes like Saris made out of Rajshahi silk are highly popular all over Bangladesh. Rajshahi silk is also sold as

fabric Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not th ...

designers A designer is a person who plans the form or structure of something before it is made, by preparing drawings or plans. In practice, anyone who creates tangible or intangible objects, products, processes, laws, games, graphics, services, or exp ...

and is available in different colours and designs.

Significance

In 2011 there were seven silk factories and the

Bangladesh Sericulture Research and Training Institute The Bangladesh Sericulture Research and Training Institute is an autonomous national research institute that carries out research on sericulture (silk farming) and supports the sericulture industry in Bangladesh. The organization is located in ...

in Rajshahi. Most of the silk of Bangladesh is produced by the region's

sericulture Sericulture, or silk farming, is the cultivation of silkworms to produce silk. Although there are several commercial species of silkworms, '' Bombyx mori'' (the caterpillar of the domestic silkmoth) is the most widely used and intensively stud ...

. Approximately 100,000 people are directly or indirectly employed in this sector. Rajshahi Silk Industry and Factory Labourers' Union represent the workers in the silk industry.

Gallery

File:Silk cocoon, Sopura Silk Mills Ltd (03).jpg, Silk cocoon File:Silk cocoon, Sopura Silk Mills Ltd (01).jpg, Silk cocoon File:Silk cocoon, Sopura Silk Mills Ltd (02).jpg, Silk cocoon File:Silk cocoon, Sopura Silk Mills Ltd (04).jpg, Silk cocoon File:Silk weaving, Sopura Silk Mills Limited (01).jpg, Silk weaving File:Waxing on Rajshahi silk, Sopura Silk Mills Ltd (02).jpg, Waxing on Rajshahi silk File:Rajshahi silk fabric, Sopura Silk Mills Ltd (01).jpg

References

Bangladeshi clothing Rajshahi Silk Textile industry of Bangladesh {{Bangladesh-stub