The legendary 'woven air' – Dhakai Muslin – has returned from the pages of fairy tales to reality, thanks to the government's visionary initiative, relentless genomic research by scientists and the magic of marginalised women artisans' fingers.
The traditional Dhakai Muslin, famous for its exceptionally delicate cotton weave, is now fully prepared to spread its wings in the global market commercially, following the restoration of the ancient thread-making technology and the revival of its raw material.
As transparent as a wisp of white cloud, as serene as morning dew and as light as a thread floating in the air, Dhakai Muslin was acclaimed as a leading global luxury fabric in the Roman, Greek and Arab empires from as early as 500 BC. During the Mughal era, its prestige reached such a pinnacle that the finest variety of muslin, 'Malmal Khas', was reserved exclusively for emperors.
Depending on its design and quality, muslin – the artistic pride and ultimate expression of Bengali weaving – was known by various poetic names, such as 'Ab-e-Rawan' (flowing water) and 'Shabnam' (morning dew). Historical accounts of an entire saree easily fitting inside a matchbox or passing through a small ring testify to the extraordinary fineness of muslin.
Around 170 years ago, towards the end of the 18th century, the aggression of cheap, mill-made fabrics from Manchester, introduced by the British East India Company, the horrific physical torture inflicted on local weavers, including the alleged severing of their thumbs, and the imposition of punitive taxes choked the life out of the industry.
Furthermore, the unique raw material required for muslin – the 'Phuti Karpas' cotton plant, grown exclusively in the Meghna river basin – eventually became extinct in the wild, delivering the final blow to the industry. The original Dhakai Muslin was last exhibited at the Great Exhibition in London in 1850, after which it became a part of history.
Weaving Dhakai Muslin was not merely a form of manual labour; it was a complex traditional science intertwined with weather conditions. The ultra-fine thread of Phuti Karpas tends to snap in dry air. Therefore, the early morning hours before sunrise and the humid atmosphere of the evening were chosen for spinning muslin thread.
The natural humidity and temperature of the Shitalakshya river basin, in particular, provided unique conditions for spinning this thread.
Authentic Dhakai Muslin could be produced only after completing 16 precise and rigorous stages, including harvesting cotton from the fields, separating the fibres, cleaning the cotton with the jawbones of boal fish, spinning the thread using ultra-fine takli spindles, washing the thread and weaving it on specialised looms to create distinctive designs.
In 2014, the Bangladesh Handloom Board formed a high-level research team to revive muslin. The team's long journey was as thrilling as a scientific thriller. Guided by historical records and illustrations from a 1788 book by Swedish scientist Carl Linnaeus, researchers collected 39 wild cotton varieties from Kapasia, Gazipur, Baghabari and Rajshahi.
Through DNA sequencing and genome matching, researchers compared the collected cotton varieties with original muslin thread samples preserved at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. They eventually identified and cultivated what they determined to be authentic Phuti Karpas.
More than 50 specialised traditional tools had to be recreated to weave muslin. While the thread count of ordinary cotton fabrics generally ranges from 40 to 80, the thread count of the revived Dhakai Muslin has exceeded 731 to 750 metric counts, giving the fabric its characteristic dew-like transparency.
In December 2020, Dhakai Muslin received Geographical Indication (GI) status in Bangladesh, securing recognition of its origin and protecting its identity.
Muslin is now evolving from a laboratory or exhibition piece into a living commercial industry. Following the success of the first phase, the government is implementing the second phase of the project, worth Tk18.5 crore (Tk185 million).
The most significant social aspect of the project is that more than 300 marginalised women have received meticulous training in spinning this ultra-fine thread. They have become skilled spinners, helping bring about a transformative change in the rural economy.
Luxury brands from major markets, including the US, France and Japan, have shown keen interest in purchasing the revived Dhakai Muslin. Meanwhile, a major international order for 500 yards of muslin fabric has already been completed successfully.
Centred on the Dhakai Muslin House, built in Tarabo in Rupganj, Narayanganj, efforts to transfer the technology to private-sector entrepreneurs are progressing rapidly.
Recently, further improvements to the Phuti Karpas variety were announced at a seminar organised by the Ministry of Textiles and Jute. To prevent shortages of raw materials, contract farming arrangements are being established with rural farmers in Kapasia, Rajshahi and Cumilla.
Although the initial production cost of a saree was Tk3.6 lakh, efforts are under way to bring it down to between Tk1 lakh and Tk3 lakh through mass production. Crafting a sophisticated muslin saree requires several months of labour by two to four weavers.
As a result, Dhakai Muslin is expected to establish itself primarily as a premium luxury fashion item in the global market, catering to affluent consumers. Commercial production could elevate Bangladesh to a distinctive position in the high-end international luxury export sector, beyond its traditional ready-made garment industry.
Although production costs remain high in the initial stages of commercialisation, plans are under way to make the saree more affordable to the general public once the technology has been transferred to the private sector and large-scale cultivation begins.