What is Jute fiber? History of the jute industry in Bangladesh.

What is Jute fiber?

Jute fiber is a long, soft, shiny bust fiber that can be cut into thick, strong threads. It is one of the most affordable natural fibers, and second only to cotton in quantity and quantity used. Jute fiber is mainly composed of plant materials cellulose and lignin. It falls in the category of bust fiber along with kenaf, industrial hemp, flax (linen), ramie, etc. The industrial term for jute fiber is raw jute it's color gray, yellow, white to brown, and is 1-4 m long. It is also called golden fiber for its color and high cash quality.

Jute is a natural fiber known as golden fiber. It is one of the cheapest and strongest of all-natural fibers and is considered the fiber of the future. It is the second-largest producer of textile fiber after cotton. India, Bangladesh, China, and Thailand are the top producers of jute. Southwest Asia and Brazil have also produced jute. Jute fiber is also called Pat, Kosta, Nalita, Bimli, or Mesta. It has many natural advantages such as lustier, high tensile strength, low extensibility, medium heat and fire resistance, long-staple length, biodegradable and eco-friendly which gives its popularity.

History of the jute industry in Bangladesh

The history of the jute industry in Bangladesh is long. Initially, jute fiber was used to make textiles in the Indus Valley Civilization from the third millennium BC. For centuries, jute fiber has been an integral part of the culture of East Bengal and parts of West Bengal in southwestern Bangladesh. The British started the jute business in the seventeenth century. Jute fiber was also used in the military during the rule of the British Empire. British jute barons became rich by processing jute and selling products made from it. The Dundee Jute Barons and the British East India Company established many jute mills in Bengal and in 1855 the jute industry in Bengal surpassed the Scottish jute business. Many Scots emigrated to Bengal to set up jute factories. More than one billion jute sandbags were exported from Bengal to World War I trenches. It was used in fishing, construction, industry, and arms industry. Initially, due to its texture, it could only be processed by hand. No one in Dundee discovered that treatment with whale oil made it machine-processed. The industry spanned the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, but the trade closed in the 1970s due to the rise of synthetic fibers. In the 21st century, jute has again become an important export crop worldwide, mainly in Bangladesh.