Bangladesh's Tangail sari is fighting for survival as weavers warn that automation and economic pressures are pushing the centuries-old craft to the brink despite its global acclaim.
The detailed designs and fine textures of the garments made in the central Tangail city won UNESCO recognition in December as intangible cultural heritage reflecting "local social and cultural practices".
kAmqFE :E 92D 3C@F89E =:EE=6 C6=:67 E@ 4C@H565 =@42= H@C<D9@AD H96C6 2 D9:7E E@ 2FE@>2E65 =@@>D[ 6G@=G:?8 72D9:@? 49@:46D[ F?DE23=6 J2C? AC:46D 2?5 2 =24< @7 8@G6C?>6?E DFAA@CE 92G6 DBF66K65 H62G6CD 2E 6G6CJ EFC?]k^Am
kAmp;:E zF>2C #@J[ H9@ DA6?5D E96 52J :?E6C=24:?8 H2CA 2?5 H67E E9C625D H9:=6 A255=:?8 E96 D9FEE=6 324< 2?5 7@CE9[ D2JD E96 9@?@FC 92D 5@?6 =:EE=6 E@ 62D6 9:D 52:=J 92C5D9:A]k^Am
kAmQxEVD 2== 92C5 H@C<[Q E96 bd\J62C\@=5 H62G6C E@=5 pu! 2D 96 H@C<65 E96 92?5=@@> 96 92D @A6C2E65 7@C ?62C=J EH@ 564256D]k^Am
kAmQw2?5D[ =68D 2?5 6J6D >FDE >@G6 E@86E96C] x7 x >2<6 2 >:DE2<6 E96? E96C6 :D 2 AC@3=6>]Qk^Am
kAm|6? EJA:42==J =625 E96 H62G:?8[ 5J6:?8 2?5 56D:8? H@C<[ H9:=6 H@>6? AC6A2C6 E9C625D[ 2AA=J C:46 DE2C49 2?5 255 7:?:D9:?8 E@F496D]k^Am
k9am\ w:89\AC@7:=6 4=:6?ED \k^9am
kAm~?46 4@?D:56C65 2 H6==\A2J:?8 AC@76DD:@?[ H62G:?8 92D DF776C65 7C@> 2 >2C<6E D=F>A E92E 3682? 5FC:?8 E96 r@G:5\`h A2?56>:4 2?5 ?6G6C C64@G6C65]k^Am
kAm#@J D2:5 9:D 724E@CJ @H?6C FD65 E@ CF? a_ 92?5=@@>D 3FE ?@H 92D @?=J `_]k^Am
kAmQ$@>6 724E@C:6D 92G6 D9FE 5@H? 6?E:C6=J[Q #@J D2:5]k^Am
kAm(:E9 56>2?5 72==:?8 2?5 4@DED C:D:?8[ >2?J H62G6CD 92G6 232?5@?65 E96 4C27E[ EFC?:?8 E@ 5C:G:?8 @C 4@?DECF4E:@? H@C< E@ DFCG:G6]k^Am
kAmQ(6 62C? f__ E2<2 WSeX A6C D2C:[ 2?5 :E E2<6D 2E =62DE EH@ 52JD E@ >2<6 @?6] w@H 42? 2 72>:=J @7 7@FC =:G6 @? bd_ E2<2 2 52JnQk^Am
kAm#289F?2E9 q2D2<[ AC6D:56?E @7 2 =@42= D2C: EC256CDV 2DD@4:2E:@?[ H9@D6 72>:=J 92D AC6D6CG65 %2?82:= H62G:?8 7@C 86?6C2E:@?D[ 762CD E96 4C27E >2J 6?5 H:E9 9:>]Â k^Am
kAmw:D 2?46DE@CD >:8C2E65 :? D62C49 @7 H62E96C 2?5 H2E6C DF:E23=6 7@C H62G:?8 367@C6 D6EE=:?8 :? %2?82:=[Â ?6DE=65 :? 2 =@H\=J:?8 7=@@5A=2:? ?62CÂ E96 y2>F?2 #:G6C]k^Am
kAmQx 3C@F89E >J D@? :?E@ E96 AC@76DD:@? E@@[ 3FE x 5@?VE <?@H 9@H 96 H:== 4@A6 27E6C x 2> 8@?6[Q q2D2<[ fd[ D2:5 7C@> 9:D D9@HC@@>[ H96C6 D9:?J 4C6DED =:?6 E96 H2==D]k^Am
kAms6DA:E6 9:89\AC@7:=6 4=:6?ED \\ 7C@> A@=:E:42= =6256CD :? x?5:2VD (6DE q6?82= DE2E6 E@ @FDE65 q2?8=256D9: AC:>6 >:?:DE6C $96:<9 w2D:?2[ H9@ H@C6 9:D D2C: E@ 56=:G6C 2 DA6649 E@ E96 &} v6?6C2= pDD6>3=J \\ q2D2< D2JD E96 :?5FDECJ :D DECF88=:?8]k^Am
k9am\ rF=EFC2= DJ>3@= \k^9am
kAmp 92=E E@ =2?5\A@CE EC256 H:E9 ?6:893@FC:?8 x?5:2 7@==@H:?8 2 5:A=@>2E:4 72==@FE 92D 2=D@ 27764E65 3FD:?6DD]Â k^Am
kAmQ(6 FD65 E@ 6IA@CE D2C:D 3J C@25 2?5 :>A@CE J2C? H96? =@42= AC:46D D9@E FA] }@H =2?5 A@CED @? 3@E9 D:56D 2C6 D62=65] tIA@CE 92D 364@>6 2=>@DE :>A@DD:3=6[Q 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmx? E96 `he_D[ E96 D2C: 6>6C865 2D 2 4F=EFC2= DJ>3@= 2D q6?82=:D :? H92E H2D E96? t2DE !2<:DE2? 6>3C2465 E96:C 6E9?:4 :56?E:EJ]Â k^Am
kAmqFE 4@?DF>6C AC676C6?46 :D D=@H=J D9:7E:?8]k^Am
kAmz2?:K }66C2[ cd[ 3FJD EH@ 5@K6? %2?82:= D2C:D 2 J62C[ 72G@FC:?8 E96:C 5:DE:?4E:G6 A2EE6C?D 2?5 4@>7@CE23=6 56D:8?[ 3FE H@CC:6D E92E E96 J@F?86C 86?6C2E:@? :D 5C:7E:?8 2H2J]k^Am
kAmQ$2C: :D :?E68C2= E@ @FC :56?E:EJ[Q D96 D2:5] Q|J >@E96C H62CD D2C: 2E 9@>6 2?5 @FED:56] x H62C :E >@DE=J @FED:56] WqFEX 8:C=D ?@H H62C D2C: @?=J @? DA64:2= @442D:@?D]Qk^Am
kAmqFE C6D62C496CD C6>2:? 42FE:@FD=J @AE:>:DE:4]k^Am
kAm$92H@? p<2?5[ 2FE9@C @7 2 3@@< @? E96 DF3;64E[ ?@E6D E92E E96 %2?82:= D2C: :D 2 C6=2E:G6=J C646?E 6G@=FE:@? 3J E96 56D46?52?ED @7 s92<2: >FD=:? H62G6CD H9@D6 4C62E:@?D @?46 42AE:G2E65 |F892= CF=6CD 2?5 tFC@A62? 2C:DE@4C24J]Â k^Am
kAmQ%96 %2?82:= H62G6CD :?96C:E65 7:?6 J2C? E649?:BF6D 7C@> E96:C 2?46DE@CD 2?5 252AE65 H:E9 F?:BF6 56D:8?D :? %2?82:= D2C:[Q p<2?5 E@=5 pu!]k^Am
kAmQ%2?82:= D2C: H:== 6G@=G6] xE H:== 6?5FC6]Qk^Am
kAmD2^239^=<5^>;H^=82k^Am




