In the effigy of traditional Bangladeshi sari world, the genre of Tangail sari has positioned itself with sophistication, styled with the enriched Bengali culture. Obviously, it originated from the Tangail district, one of the 64 districts of our country. Generations after generations have seen the legacy continue in its many forms through intricate handloom weaving method.
Map Photo Agency decided to go out there with a motive to collect stories through photographs. Our plan is to travel inside Bangladesh, highlighting the dying industry of handloom and traditional local weavers. When we found out that the West Bengal government has claimed the Tangail sari as its own after it got the geographical indication (GI) tag for it, we had our share of reality check. The announcement came from the official Facebook page of India’s Ministry of Culture on February 1, 2024. The Tangail saris are a significant cultural heritage of Bangladesh, and definitely not India. Sadly, the reality about the artisans with their skilled craftsmanship is dying out in this ever-accelerating time.
Machines are taking over the necessities of skilled local weavers. The local weavers are the ones who have been meticulously intertwining threads to create the popular pattern of Tangail sari. It is a labour-intensive process. The best part of wearing the Tangail sari is that it always comes in lightweight textures. Usually, they are made out of cotton or a combo of cotton and silk. That is the reason why it is very much suitable for the weather of Bangladesh. The history goes back to the time of the Mughals as that was when the process of weaving developed in many forms.
In the late 18th century, the zamindars of Tangail invited some muslin weavers from Dhaka to settle in Tangail and produced saris with extremely fine and smooth texture. It is all about weaving and we only want to show our support for the weavers and their stories.
Despite the advent of modern fashion trends, the Tangail sari continues to hold a special place in the hearts of Bangladeshi women
Our motive is to create awareness through documentaries and photographs. As Bangladeshis, we should at least try to inform everyone that India has acted and it now has the GI rights, whereas the Bangladesh Handloom Board had no idea or plans to get GI rights for the sari. At Pathrail in Tangail there’s a collection of saris for wholesale that’s available, but they are mostly made out of machines -- not by artisans. The industry of artisans is dying really fast as they are not receiving enough orders to survive in the competitive world against machines.
Most of the saris come from Sirajganj and Pabna. But these saris are supposed to be made mostly by the Tangail artisans. Tangail saris tell the story of craftmanship and tradition starting from floral patterns to geometric forms. To the elderly ones, it’s all about versatility and elegance. It’s a type of sari that women in the corporate world use, even in funerals, birthday parties, events like weddings or maybe in some get together. You can wear it anywhere you want. The acceptance is found in all classes of the society. The sari exudes elegance, making it an appreciative attire for women across Bangladesh. The Tangail sari has also become popular in other parts of the world.
Despite the advent of modern fashion trends, the Tangail sari continues to hold a special place in the hearts of Bangladeshi women. In recent years, efforts have been made to promote and preserve the traditional art form ensuring the legacy of Tangail sari weaving thrives for generations to come.
Social workers could also organize workshops, seminars, and educational programs to teach people about the art of weaving. If work is offered after hands-on experience, participants can also learn and create their own designs. As individuals, we can all use the power of social media by wearing, sharing photographs or sharing our stories through many platforms. It is important that we support traditional handloom industries. This will only help us to preserve our cultural heritage.
Map Photo Agency has, so far, explored Tangail, and are planning to explore more in the upcoming days. Bangladesh has weavers working for silk sari, cotton sari, jamdani, taant, tussar, katan, etc. They plan to visit Bandarban, Rajshahi, Narshingdi, and Narayganj and many more places to bring out the stories of the fettered weavers.
Nazia Nazmul is a freelance contributor.
