Faridpur jute and jute goods

The story

Jute was once so important to Bengal that it was simply called the golden fibre. The low, flood-fed land of greater Faridpur, between the Padma and its distributaries, suits the crop well: jute is sown from late winter into spring, grows tall for four to five months and is cut in the monsoon, when ponds and canals are full enough to ret it. Faridpur district is counted among the country's largest jute producers, and the fibre grown there has long had a name in the trade for its length, strength and colour.

Two kinds of jute are grown in Bangladesh. White or deshi jute gives a paler fibre, while tossa jute gives the golden, lustrous fibre that most of Faridpur now grows. After cutting, the bundled stalks are sunk in ponds, canals or ditches for about two weeks to ret, letting microbes loosen the fibre from the woody stick. Farmers then strip the fibre by hand, wash it and hang it on bamboo racks, roadside fences and bridges to dry, which is why the region turns gold in August. The leftover sticks, pat kathi, are used for fencing and fuel.

In 2025 the Department of Patents, Designs and Trademarks registered Faridpur jute as a geographical indication, on an application by the Bangladesh Jute Research Institute. The GI covers the raw fibre from the Faridpur region. Bags, rugs, rope and other jute goods made in or around Faridpur carry that heritage, but the GI itself does not certify a finished product, and jute goods are made all over the country from fibre grown in many districts.

How to spot the real Faridpur jute and jute goods

Jute-look polypropylene, a cheap plastic woven to imitate jute, is the most common substitute. Real jute fibre is slightly uneven, hairy and matt with a soft golden or brown sheen, and it has a faint earthy, sack-like smell. Plastic strands are perfectly regular, glossy and smooth, and feel slippery or springy. If a loose thread can be spared, a careful burn test settles it: jute burns like paper, smells of burnt wood or straw and leaves soft grey ash, while plastic shrinks, melts into a hard bead and smells chemical. For fibre, look for long, clean, bright strands without bits of stick or dark patches, which point to poor retting.

Buying tips

For jute goods, price depends on the weight and tightness of the weave, whether the fabric is laminated or lined, the stitching, any handwork such as embroidery, and size. Ask the seller whether the product is 100 percent jute or a blend, whether it is laminated with plastic inside, and where it was made. If a listing calls itself Faridpur jute, ask where the fibre came from, since the GI applies to the fibre rather than to a finished bag.

Every Midmart shop sets and charges its own delivery, so buying a rug from one seller and bags from another means two parcels and two delivery charges. Midmart does not take payment or arrange delivery; you agree both with the seller directly. For bulk orders of bags or raw fibre, confirm the weight, the courier cost and whether samples are available before you pay.

Keeping it fresh

Keep jute dry. It absorbs moisture easily and can develop mildew and a musty smell if stored damp, so let wet bags dry fully in the shade before putting them away. Store rugs rolled and goods in a ventilated cupboard, away from strong sun, which can weaken and fade the fibre. Spot-clean with a damp cloth rather than soaking.

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