In December 2013, the Intellectual Property Association of Bangladesh (IPAB) celebrated a major success as Bangladesh's Jamdani Sari weaving tradition, a labor-intensive and time-consuming form of hand loom weaving is recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Jamdani is the finest Muslin textile produced in Bangladesh's Dhaka District.
A sari is the traditional garment worn by women in the Indian subcontinent, made up of a long strip of unstitched cloth, ranging from five to nine yards in length, which can be draped in various styles. The most common style is for the sari to be wrapped around the waist with one end then draped over the shoulders with the other. The Jamdani Sari is among the oldest styles, at more than 5,000 years old! Some people think that the sari was influenced by Greek or Roman toga, which we see on ancient statues. However, there is no solid historical evidence to this effect.
The sari is essentially designed to suit local conditions in the subcontinent. There are at least six varieties of Bengal handlooms, each deriving its name from the village in which it originated, and each with its own distinctive style. Dhaka was especially renowed for saris of fine muslin, a tradtion that carries on today. Jamdani is basically a transformation of the world famous Dhakai Muslin. According to their variety, fineness and patterns the traditional Dhakai Muslins were divided into specific categories. Among them, Aab-E-Rouhan, Shabnam, Sarband and Jamdani muslin were the most famous. Over the years the first three of these have vanished from history.
The production, marketing and export of Jamdani has somehow maintained its continuity. Dhaka has a history of only four hundred years from 1610 A.D., but the history of the cotton clothes of the region reveals more ancient traditions. Although most of the history of Jamdani weaving os lost in the mists of antiquity, it's known that trade in the fabric was established at least 2,000 years ago.
A Bangladeshi weaver designs a Jamdani Sari in the village of Rupganj Thana in the outskirts of Dhaka.
Jamdani is the finest Muslin textile produced in Bangladesh's Dhaka District. This time consuming and labor-intensive form of hand loom weaving has been declared intagible cultural world heritage by UNESCO.
A Bangladeshi weaver designs a Jamdani Sari in the village of Rupganj Thana in the outskirts of Dhaka.
Jamdani is the finest Muslin textile produced in Bangladesh's Dhaka District. This time consuming and labor-intensive form of hand loom weaving has been declared intagible cultural world heritage by UNESCO.
A Bangladeshi weaver designs a Jamdani Sari in the village of Rupganj Thana in the outskirts of Dhaka.
Jamdani is the finest Muslin textile produced in Bangladesh's Dhaka District. This time consuming and labor-intensive form of hand loom weaving has been declared intagible cultural world heritage by UNESCO.
A Bangladeshi weaver designs a Jamdani Sari in the village of Rupganj Thana in the outskirts of Dhaka.
Jamdani is the finest Muslin textile produced in Bangladesh's Dhaka District. This time consuming and labor-intensive form of hand loom weaving has been declared intagible cultural world heritage by UNESCO.
Portrait of a Bangladeshi weaver of Jamdani Saris in the village of Rupganj Thana in the outskirts of Dhaka.
Jamdani is the finest Muslin textile produced in Bangladesh's Dhaka District. This time consuming and labor-intensive form of hand loom weaving has been declared intagible cultural world heritage by UNESCO.
A Bangladeshi weaver designs a Jamdani Sari in the village of Rupganj Thana in the outskirts of Dhaka.
Jamdani is the finest Muslin textile produced in Bangladesh's Dhaka District. This time consuming and labor-intensive form of hand loom weaving has been declared intagible cultural world heritage by UNESCO.
Portrait of a Bangladeshi weaver of Jamdani Saris in the village of Rupganj Thana in the outskirts of Dhaka.
Jamdani is the finest Muslin textile produced in Bangladesh's Dhaka District. This time consuming and labor-intensive form of hand loom weaving has been declared intagible cultural world heritage by UNESCO.
A Bangladeshi weaver designs a Jamdani Sari in the village of Rupganj Thana in the outskirts of Dhaka.
Jamdani is the finest Muslin textile produced in Bangladesh's Dhaka District. This time consuming and labor-intensive form of hand loom weaving has been declared intagible cultural world heritage by UNESCO.
A whole saller of Jamdani Saris shows a piece from his collection in the village of Rupganj Thana in the outskirts of Dhaka.
Jamdani is the finest Muslin textile produced in Bangladesh's Dhaka District. This time consuming and labor-intensive form of hand loom weaving has been declared intagible cultural world heritage by UNESCO.
Jamdani Saris are made from the finest Muslin textile produced in Bangladesh's Dhaka District. This time consuming and labor-intensive form of hand loom weaving has been declared intagible cultural world heritage by UNESCO.
A whole saller of Jamdani Saris shows a piece from his collection in the village of Rupganj Thana in the outskirts of Dhaka.
Jamdani is the finest Muslin textile produced in Bangladesh's Dhaka District. This time consuming and labor-intensive form of hand loom weaving has been declared intagible cultural world heritage by UNESCO.
A Bangladeshi weaver designs a Jamdani Sari in the village of Rupganj Thana in the outskirts of Dhaka.
Jamdani is the finest Muslin textile produced in Bangladesh's Dhaka District. This time consuming and labor-intensive form of hand loom weaving has been declared intagible cultural world heritage by UNESCO.
A Bangladeshi weaver designs a Jamdani Sari in the village of Rupganj Thana in the outskirts of Dhaka.
Jamdani is the finest Muslin textile produced in Bangladesh's Dhaka District. This time consuming and labor-intensive form of hand loom weaving has been declared intagible cultural world heritage by UNESCO.
A Bangladeshi weaver designs a Jamdani Sari in the village of Rupganj Thana in the outskirts of Dhaka.
Jamdani is the finest Muslin textile produced in Bangladesh's Dhaka District. This time consuming and labor-intensive form of hand loom weaving has been declared intagible cultural world heritage by UNESCO.
A Bangladeshi weaver designs a Jamdani Sari in the village of Rupganj Thana in the outskirts of Dhaka.
Jamdani is the finest Muslin textile produced in Bangladesh's Dhaka District. This time consuming and labor-intensive form of hand loom weaving has been declared intagible cultural world heritage by UNESCO.
A Bangladeshi weaver designs a Jamdani Sari in the village of Rupganj Thana in the outskirts of Dhaka.
Jamdani is the finest Muslin textile produced in Bangladesh's Dhaka District. This time consuming and labor-intensive form of hand loom weaving has been declared intagible cultural world heritage by UNESCO.
A Bangladeshi weaver designs a Jamdani Sari in the village of Rupganj Thana in the outskirts of Dhaka.
Jamdani is the finest Muslin textile produced in Bangladesh's Dhaka District. This time consuming and labor-intensive form of hand loom weaving has been declared intagible cultural world heritage by UNESCO.
A Bangladeshi weaver designs a Jamdani Sari in the village of Rupganj Thana in the outskirts of Dhaka.
Jamdani is the finest Muslin textile produced in Bangladesh's Dhaka District. This time consuming and labor-intensive form of hand loom weaving has been declared intagible cultural world heritage by UNESCO.
A Bangladeshi weaver designs a Jamdani Sari in the village of Rupganj Thana in the outskirts of Dhaka.
Jamdani is the finest Muslin textile produced in Bangladesh's Dhaka District. This time consuming and labor-intensive form of hand loom weaving has been declared intagible cultural world heritage by UNESCO.
A Bangladeshi weaver designs a Jamdani Sari in the village of Rupganj Thana in the outskirts of Dhaka.
Jamdani is the finest Muslin textile produced in Bangladesh's Dhaka District. This time consuming and labor-intensive form of hand loom weaving has been declared intagible cultural world heritage by UNESCO.
A Bangladeshi weaver designs a Jamdani Sari in the village of Rupganj Thana in the outskirts of Dhaka.
Jamdani is the finest Muslin textile produced in Bangladesh's Dhaka District. This time consuming and labor-intensive form of hand loom weaving has been declared intagible cultural world heritage by UNESCO.
A model shows off a Bangladeshi traditional Jamdani Sari in Dhaka on 13 June 2015 when the Intellectual Property Association of Bangladesh (IPAB) celebrated the Jamdani Sari being recognized as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
A model shows off a Bangladeshi traditional Jamdani Sari in Dhaka on 13 June 2015 when the Intellectual Property Association of Bangladesh (IPAB) celebrated the Jamdani Sari being recognized as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
A model shows off a Bangladeshi traditional Jamdani Sari in Dhaka on 13 June 2015 when the Intellectual Property Association of Bangladesh (IPAB) celebrated the Jamdani Sari being recognized as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
Another building is lost to erosion along the Padma.
Jogodish Borua, 65, lost his land and his house to river erosion.
Abdul Aziz, who lost his home to erosion along the banks of the river, takes a bath in the Padma.
A fisherman and a local villager cross paths on the banks of the river Padma.
The situation is especially severe for children. A woman and child have been displaced along with other members of their neighborhood who also lost their homes.
A man walks through the ruins of a house damaged by river erosion.
A boy plays on the banks of the river Padma in a spot where there once sat family homes.
People who lost their homes set up makeshift shelters along the river.
Rising water levels on the river Padma in Bangladesh threaten homes and put inhabitants of the river basin at risk.
When the Padma river rises, erosion becomes a serious problem for the community living on the river. At the same time, waste littering the earth pollutes the water.
Houses sit near the banks of the river Padma in Bangladesh.
Flooding and erosion along the Padma river in Bangladesh has resulted in many people losing their homes and their land.
People are sometimes forces to move their houses to another place out of the path of river erosion.
A family made homeless by erosion and flooding along the Padma River dry cloth on the riverbank.
Rohim Shekh, 72, walks through an area devastated by Cyclone Aila in 2007. He was displaced by the Cyclone, which many now see as a result of climate change.