Abstract:
Geographical Indications (GI) is a term used to identify unique products that are manufactured,
produced or found in a specific geographical location. These kinds of products holds significant
value for it’s uniqueness and special characteristics. Around the world, countries implement
policies and institutions to protect its GI products through GI certification and other protection
mechanisms. Notable Bangladeshi GI goods are Hilsha fish, Nakshi Kantha, Jamdanee Saree,
Sundarban Madhu etc. In Bangladesh, geographical indications (GI) is protected through the
legislation titled ‘Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 2013. In
this regard, TRIPS agreement of World Trade Organization (WTO) plays an important role to
protect GI in other countries. Bangladesh is a signatory party of this agreement. There are various
problems and challenges that hinders the protection of geographical indications. Solving these
problem requires effort on several fronts. If Bangladesh manages to solve these underlying
problems and overcome the challenges, geographical indications has the potential to become a new
industry in local and international arena.
