Bangladesh is the world's second-largest producer of jute, behind India. The demand for jute, known as the "golden fibre" due to its color and high price, has decreased over time. However, a Bangladeshi scientist has discovered a way to transform jute into biodegradable cellulose sheets that can be used to make eco-friendly disposable bags similar to plastic ones. Mubarak Ahmad Khan, a scientific adviser to the state-run Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation, led the team that created these new 'sonali' bags. The bags have similar physical properties to plastic and biodegrade in three months when buried in soil. They can also be recycled. Bangladesh is currently producing 2,000 bags per day on a trial basis and plans to increase production after partnering with a British-Japanese green packaging company last October. In March, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina called for increased efforts to promote the widespread use of golden bags for economic and environmental benefits. In April, the government allocated $900,000 from Bangladesh's climate change trust fund to support the mass production of these bags. Mamnur Rashid, general manager of BJMC, hopes to start commercial production of the sonali bag within six months. Despite being one of the first countries to ban plastic bags in 2002, Bangladesh has struggled to enforce the ban. Currently, more than 60 countries have implemented similar bans in certain regions or cities. Khan mentioned that over 100 Bangladeshi and international companies are considering using the new jute-based shopping bags as bans on plastic widen. He stated that he receives daily inquiries from buyers in various countries such as Britain, Australia, the United States, Canada, Mexico, Japan, and France. Sabuj Hossain, director of Eco Bangla Jute Limited, believes there will be a high demand for the bags worldwide and hopes to export 10 million bags per month in the future. Rashid from BJMC mentioned that commercial production is expected to begin towards the end of the year. Khan mentioned that even if all the jute produced in Bangladesh was used to make sacks, the country would only be able to meet about one-third of the expected demand. Despite Bangladesh's ban on plastic bags being nearly 20 years old, millions of plastic bags are still used annually due to a lack of alternatives and poor enforcement. The government estimates that Dhaka alone uses around 410 million polythene bags per month, leading to environmental issues such as a thick layer of discarded bags in waterways like the Buriganga River. Quazi Sarwar Imtiaz Hashmi, a former official from the Department of Environment, believes that the new jute polymer bags will help alleviate pollution issues as they are biodegradable and decomposable.