The Golden Fibre of Bangladesh
Jute is called the golden fibre of Bangladesh. It is so called because in the past, 80% of our foreign currency would come by exporting jute. At present the demand for jute in the world market is decreasing day by day for the invention of synthetic fibre. It is still an asset to our country. It is one of the main exportable items of our country.
The fertile soil of Bangladesh is suitable for jute cultivation. Moist, swampy land is suitable for jute cultivation. The low lying land of Bangladesh which remains under water in rainy season produces jute abundantly. The cultivation of Jute is very difficult. The land must be ploghed thrice and manured well. Then seeds are sown in the month of April. After a fortnight the seeds germinate along with weeds. Then weeds are pulled out. Within another fortnight, jute plants become one foot long and thick. Then the cultivators pull some of them out. They have to loosen the soil from time. After three months the jute plants become six to nine feet high.
Then the jute plants are cut off and put under water in bundles to rot. After three weeks, the barks are peeled off from the stalk. The fibres are washed and kept in small bundles. Then they are dried up in the sun. Then they taqke a gplden hue. The dried fibres of jute are taken to the market for sale. The raw jute is baled or manufactured into gunny bags, coarse cloth, carpets and juttuns. Ropes, mat, brushes, table mats and various handicrafts are made of jute.
The raw jutes are manufactured into finished goods in the jute mills and the carpet mills. In Bangladesh there are many jute mills which process the jute into bales and export them as raw jute products. Recently, green jute is being used to make pulp for making a kind of paper in Bangladesh. Our scientist are working day and night to find out improved method for its cultivation. Our govt. should find out new markets for raw jute and jute products in the world market. Scientists may invent useful uses of jute and jute products inside the country. We should increase the use of jute bags and sacks. In this country of 15 crore people, jute can be utilized for many useful purposes.