Bangladesh, the world's second largest producer of jute after India, has found a way to repurpose the "golden fibre" into biodegradable cellulose sheets that can be used to create environmentally friendly disposable bags that resemble plastic ones. Mubarak Ahmad Khan, a scientific adviser to the state-run Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC), led the team that developed the new 'sonali' bags, which have similar physical properties to plastic bags. These bags are biodegradable within three months when buried in soil and can also be recycled. Bangladesh is currently producing 2,000 of these bags daily on a trial basis, with plans to increase commercial production following an agreement with a British company affiliated with a Japanese green packaging firm made last October. In March, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina encouraged those involved in the project to help accelerate the widespread use of the golden bags for economic and environmental benefits. In April, the government allocated around $900,000 from Bangladesh's climate change trust fund to support the large-scale production of the bags. Mamnur Rashid, BJMC's general manager, stated that they aim to start commercial production of the sonali bag within six months once the project is fully operational. Despite being one of the first countries to ban plastic and polythene bags in 2002, the ban has not been very effective in preventing them from accumulating in water bodies and on land. Currently, over 60 countries, including China and France, have implemented bans on plastic bags in some regions or cities. As the bans on plastic widen, more than 100 Bangladeshi and international firms are considering using the new jute-based shopping sacks, according to Khan. He mentioned that he receives emails or calls daily from buyers in various countries such as Britain, Australia, the United States, Canada, Mexico, Japan, and France. Sabuj Hossain, director of Dhaka-based export firm Eco Bangla Jute Limited, believes that the bags will have significant demand globally. He mentioned that his company aims to export 10 million of the bags each month in the future. Rashid of the BJMC stated 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 one-third of the expected demand. Despite Bangladesh's ban on plastic bags being almost twenty years old, millions of bags are still used each year due to a lack of alternatives and weak enforcement. The government estimates that Dhaka alone uses about 410 million polythene bags per month, leading to a buildup of discarded bags in waterways like the Buriganga River. Quazi Sarwar Imtiaz Hashmi, a former deputy director general of the Department of Environment, believes that the new jute polymer bags will help alleviate pollution issues as they are biodegradable and decomposable.