Bangladesh, famous for its Dhaka Muslin, Mirpur Katan and Benaroshi, now has the "Kolaboti saree" -- made from the banana plant fibre in Bandarban -- to take pride in.

The main artisan of this saree is Radhavati Devi, a member of the Manipuri community in Moulvibazar, reports our Bandarban correspondent.

The first Kolaboti saree will be given to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as a gift, said Yasmin Parvin Tibriji, Bandarban's deputy commissioner (DC), who took the initiative for the project and named the saree after the weaver, at a press briefing at the Bandarban DC Office conference room yesterday.

It took around 10 to 15 days to prepare the 13.5-cubit long and 2.5-cubit wide saree, and around 1kg yarn of banana plant was used for it, she said.

Research is being conducted to find ways to smooth out the yarn so that a saree can be made using only 500 to 700 grams of it, said the DC.

By producing the clothing material on a commercial basis, the indigenous people of hilly areas can come out of poverty, she added.

"Not only sarees, but curtains, bags, mats, shoes, handbags are also being made from banana plant yarn."

Initiatives will be also taken to make other kinds of clothing, such as panjabis or fatuas, from this fibre, Tibriji said, adding, that these products will all be environment-friendly.

Several government officials and representatives from the indigenous community in Moulvibazar, including Radhavati Devi, were present at the press conference.