The Center for Policy Dialogue said on Wednesday that Bangladesh had lost the Geographical Indication status of Sundarbans’ honey due to the negligence of the authorities concerned.

The CPD said this at a press briefing on ‘Sundarbans’s Honey Now India’s Geographical Indication Product’ held at the CPD’s Dhanmondi office on Wednesday.

Distinguished fellows of CPD, Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, and Professor Mustafizur Rahman and researcher Naima Haque, spoke in the event.

Dr Fahmida Khatun, executive director of CPD, moderated the programme.

In a presentation, CPD said that two-thirds of Sundarbans’ honey is collected from parts of Bangladesh while India collects relatively less honey from the forest.

So, Bangladesh is the claimant of Sundarbans honey as a GI product.

Debapriya said that there was no discussion about Tangail sarees or Sundarbans’ honey. ‘Along with lack of skills, capabilities, accountability is also weak in the government institutions of Bangladesh,’ he added.

Fahmida Khatun said, ‘If we do not have GI of the traditional products of the country, then we will never be able to claim our products as our own.’

‘If products are not enlisted as GI products of Bangladesh, the other will take them. When done or taken by another country, we wake up,’ she pointed out.

Dr Debapriya said that one of the major reasons for why foreign investment does not come is non-enforcement of intellectual property laws.

There are thousands of freelancers in Bangladesh who make apps and other products but what is their product protection system, he questioned.

He said that protection of intellectual property rights and enforcement of related laws were important for the economy. ‘It plays a role in attracting foreign investors and creating a positive environment for expanding export markets.’

Currently, the world’s largest companies are giving special importance to intellectual property law in terms of investment, said Debapriya.