Phuti karpas

Gossypium arboreum var. neglecta, locally known as Phuti karpas or Phuti Karpash, is a variety of Gossypium arboreum endemic to Bangladesh, especially near Dhaka along the river banks, and in some places in West Bengal, India. It was believed to be extinct. The cotton from this plant was used to make Dhaka muslin, a rare extinct fabric.[1] It could be spun so that individual threads could maintain tensile strength at counts higher than any other variety of cotton.[2] In 2015, in a project to resurrect Muslin, Phuti Karpas plants are being searched by planting similar plants along the river.[3]

Description

Phuti Karpas was a perennial herbaceous plant with soft droopy stem. The green venous leaves were palmate, and deeply divided into three lobes.

Phuti Karpas would produce flowers twice a year and had very short fibers. These fibers needed special conditions, like selective humidity and temperature to be converted into yarn.

Distribution & Cultivation

Main cultivation area of Phuti Karpas was very small, along the high banks of river Meghna, Shitalakshya and Brahmaputra and its branches[4] near Dhaka.[5] The cultivation of Phuti Karpas was stopped by the end of the 18th century.[4]

The variety of the cotton plant is believed to be extinct.[5][6] In 2015, in a non-government project to resurrect Muslin, seeds of plants similar to Gossypium arboreum var. neglecta were planted along the river banks of Meghna in Kapasia, 30 km north of Dhaka, Bangladesh.[3] 70% similarity with Phuti Karpas was found by searching along the river banks in Gazipur, Mymensingh and Chittagong Hill Tracts.[6] Government venture to revive Muslin was implemented by Bangladesh Handloom Board, Cotton Development Board and University of Rajshahi which found 6 similar species to Phuti Karpas out of 39 collected samples from Cumilla.[4]

Geographical indications

"Dhakai Phuti karpas cotton" is registered as the 39th GI product of Bangladesh.[7] Furthermore the "plant and seed of Dhakai Phuti karpas cotton" has been listed on the Geographical Indication Journal by Department of Patents, Designs and Trademarks (DPDT) awaiting recognition after application was filed by Bangladesh Handloom Board.[8]

References

1. Gorvett, Zaria (17 March 2021). "The ancient fabric that no one knows how to make". BBC Future. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
2. Islam, Khademul (May 2016). "Our Story of Dhaka Muslin". aramcoworld.com. AramcoWorld. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
3. Matthews, Graham A.; Miller, Thomas A., eds. (2022). Pest Management in Cotton: A Global Perspective. Boston: CAB International. p. 70. ISBN 9781800620223. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
4. Technology: Dhakai Muslin- A finest cotton fabric of Bengal (PDF) (pdf), Bangladesh Cotton Development Board, retrieved 21 March 2023
5. Haider, M H (15 December 2015). "Weaving the thread of winds". The Daily Star. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
6. "Muslin Cotton". Bengal Muslin. 27 December 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
7. "মঞ্জুরকৃত জিআই পণ্য". DPDT (in Bengali). Retrieved 27 December 2024.
8. "জি আই জার্নাল". DPDT (in Bengali). Retrieved 28 December 2024.