DHAKA, Jan 27, 2019 (BSS) – Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun today asked the officials of the Department of Patents, Designs and Trademarks (DPTD) to speed up the process of getting Geographical Indication (GI) certificate for the ‘Langra’ and ‘Ashwina’ mangos of Chapainawabganj.
“Khirshapat mango has already got GI tag. The certification will increase the production of mango and strengthen the country’s mango based economy,” he said, speaking as the chief guest at a GI certificate handing over function at the Industries Ministry in the city, said a press release.
The industries minister handed over the GI certificate of Khirshapat to M Shafiqul Islam, chief scientific officer of Chapainawabganj Regional Horticulture Research Center under the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute.
State Minister for Industries Ministry Kamal Ahmed Mojumder was present at the function as the special guest while Secretary-in-Charge of the Industries Ministry M Abdul Halim was in the chair.
Humayun asked the authorities concerned to bring Bangladeshi traditional fruits, flowers, birds and products under the GI registration.
Kamal Mojumder said acceptance of Khirsapat mango as a GI product will create a huge demand and commercial potentiality of this Bangladeshi mango variety in the international arena.
So, the opportunities of branding other Bangladeshi products will increase, he added.
The Khirsapat mango of Chapainawabganj, popularly known as Himsagar, has got the GI tag as third Bangladeshi product after Hilsa and Jamdani.
The development came after the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute applied for GI certification for the mango variety in February last year on behalf of the growers of Chapainawabganj, one of the main mango-producing districts.
GI is a name or sign used on products to certify that it possesses certain qualities for being made or produced as per traditional methods or enjoys a certain reputation due to its geographical origin.
Earlier, Jamdani was certified as Bangladesh’s first GI product and Hilsha was certified as the second one.
‘Khirshapat mangoes’ are the testiest mango of Chapainawabganj district which produce up to 20-25 percent of the total mango in the country each season.