Through the visionary initiative of the government, relentless genomic research by scientists, and the magic in the fingertips of marginal women artisans, the legendary "Bona Batash" or "Haoai Batash"—Dhakai Muslin—has returned to reality from the pages of fairy tales.

By restoring its original thread production technology and raw materials, Muslin is now fully prepared to spread its wings commercially across the global market.

Transparent as a floating white cloud, serene as morning dew, and light as a thread floating in the breeze, Dhaka Muslin was revered as the world’s premier luxury brand across the Roman, Greek, and Arab empires as early as 500 BC.

During the Mughal era, its elegance reached such a height that the finest version of Muslin, known as 'Mulmul Khas', was reserved exclusively for the emperors.

Based on design and quality, this artistic pride and pinnacle of Bengali weaving had various poetic names, such as Aab-e-Rawan (running water) and Shabnam (morning dew).

Historical anecdotes—such as an entire sari fitting into a matchbox or passing effortlessly through a small ring—stand as proof of Muslin’s unimaginable fineness.

Nearly 170 years ago, towards the end of the 18th century, the aggressive influx of cheap machine-made cloth from British East India Company mills in Manchester, coupled with severe physical torture inflicted on local weavers (such as severing their thumbs) and punitive high tariffs, choked the industry to death.

The sole raw material for Muslin—a unique cotton plant named Phuti Carpas that grew along the basin of the Meghna River—eventually became extinct in the wild, driving the final nail into the industry's coffin.

The original Dhaka Muslin was last displayed at the Great Exhibition in London in 1850, after which it faded into history.

Weaving Dhaka Muslin was not mere manual labor; it was a complex folk science intrinsically linked with weather conditions.

The ultra-fine thread of Phuti Carpas would break in dry air. Consequently, spinning was carried out in the humid air before sunrise and after sunset.

In particular, the natural humidity and temperature along the Shitalakshya River basin served as a unique environmental blessing for spinning this yarn.

Producing an authentic Dhaka Muslin required completing 16 precise and rigorous steps—from harvesting cotton from the field and ginning it, cleaning it with the jawbone of a specific Boal fish, to spinning ultra-fine yarn using delicate spindles and wheels, washing, and weaving intricate patterns on looms.

In 2014, the Bangladesh Handloom Board established a high-level research team to revive Muslin. The researchers’ long journey resembled the suspense of a scientific thriller.

Relying on sketches from a book written by Swedish scientist Carl Linnaeus in 1788 and historical records, researchers collected 39 wild cotton varieties from Kapasia, Gazipur, Baghabari, and Rajshahi.

By conducting DNA sequencing and genome matching between the collected cotton samples and threads from original Muslin preserved at London's Victoria and Albert Museum, scientists finally identified and cultivated 100 percent pure Phuti Carpas.

Furthermore, over 50 custom-built historical tools had to be remanufactured from scratch to weave the fabric.

While standard cotton fabric ranges from 40 to 80 counts, the revived Dhaka Muslin thread reaches between 731 and 750 metric counts, giving the cloth its characteristic dew-like transparency.

In December 2020, Dhakai Muslin earned Geographical Indication (GI) status for Bangladesh, securing its exclusive ownership and intellectual property rights in the international arena.

Muslin is now transitioning from a research specimen and museum exhibit into a thriving commercial industry.

Following the success of the first phase, the government is executing a second-phase project valued at BDT 185 million (18.5 crore Taka).

A major social highlight of this project is the training of over 300 marginal women, turning them into skilled spinners capable of producing this ultra-fine yarn and sparking a quiet revolution in the rural economy.

Luxury brands in major global markets, including the United States, France, and Japan, have expressed keen interest in sourcing the revived Dhakai Muslin.

A major international order for 500 yards of Muslin fabric has already been successfully delivered.

Centered around the newly established 'Dhakai Muslin House' in Tarabo, Rupganj, Narayanganj, efforts to transfer this technology to private sector entrepreneurs are moving forward rapidly.

At a recent seminar organized by the Ministry of Textiles and Jute, plans were announced to further refine the Phuti Carpas variety.

To overcome raw material shortages, contract farming arrangements are being established with rural farmers in Kapasia, Rajshahi, and Comilla.

Although initial production costs for a sari stood at BDT 360,000, efforts are underway to bring costs down to between BDT 100,000 and BDT 300,000 through scaled production.

Since weaving a single intricate Muslin sari requires two to four weavers working over several months, the product will primarily position itself as a premium luxury fashion item for the global elite.

Commercial production is set to elevate Bangladesh beyond its traditional ready-made garment sector, establishing a unique foothold in the high-value international luxury export market.

While production costs remain high in the early stages, plans are in place to make Muslin saris more accessible to the general public once technology transfer to the private sector is complete and large-scale cultivation takes root.