The New Nation - Internet Edition

NOT all hopes of golden fibre jute have been lost. A project of the Education Ministry, in association with two departments of Dhaka University, has kindled new hope about jute. The ministry has taken up a Tk. 50 crore research project to conduct 'jute jenome sequencing' research. The research will be conducted by the biochemistry and biology departments of the University under the supervision of two professors of the said departments. Two Bangladeshi scientists Dr. Maksudul Alam and Dr. Abed Chowdhury, now living in the USA and Australia, shall work for the project. Its implementation shall begin from July next as has been reported in a vernacular daily.

The objective of the research project is increasing productivity of jute, and as its logical follow-up, reduction of cost of production, enlargement of fibre of jute and increase of versatility of the fibre for variety of purposes. In fact, this fibre has many uses in human life ranging from day to day domestic purpose to production of subtle yarn for use in suitings, carpets and warm clothing. These days hessian is used as shock absorber in bodies of motor vehicles of different categories and has been found to be superior to other materials hitherto used for the purpose.

Over the last three decades due to self-defeating lethargy and subtle propaganda by some competing neighbours, our jute production and jute-based industry have been very adversely affected inflicting a heavy blow on the economy. Apart from various domestic uses jute and jute goods were the number one foreign exchange earners. Now through research projects people can justly hope that this traditional cash crop can be saved from ruination. If possible, jute and jute goods market search may be tuned with our RMG market search which is now the top export item.