Brief History

From ancient time to recent past, jute was the only cash crop earner of the farmers of Bangladesh. It was the life blood of the peasant farmers of this country. They used to plan their family budget over the cash earnings by selling jute fiber. Besides self consumption of some quantity of jute fiber, they used jute stick for fencing, roof-top cover, fuel etc. Jute fiber and stick are perishable items. So, these are eco-friendly, and as such the demand for jute and jute goods has increased worldwide. Researches on jute was first started in Dhaka with the creation of a Fiber Expert’s post and assuming the responsibility by Sir R.S. Finlow in 1904.

Jute Plant

To intensify research on jute and allied fibers, the Indian Central Jute Committee (ICJC) established the Jute Agricultural Research Laboratory (JARL), Dhaka in 1936. During 1936-47 the effective infrastructure required for a broad spectrum of Jute Research activities was reorganized. After the partition of India in 1947 Pakistan Central Jute Committee (PCJC) was established in the light of erstwhile ICJC, in turn modernized the existing JARL as Bangladesh Jute Research Institute (BJRI) in 1951. Later, in 1963, jute technological/industrial research activities were included. Bangladesh Government promulgated the jute act in 1974 and established Bangladesh Jute Research Institute for enhanced Research and Development for both in agriculture and technology. Of late, genome sequencing of jute has ushered in a new era in jute research and development.

Golden Fiber

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