Sonali Bag

In 2002, Bangladesh imposed a ban on polythene bags due to rising environmental concerns.^[1][2] This legislative move spurred research into natural fiber composite (NFC) materials as potential replacements for polythene. Mubarak Ahmad Khan, a scientist at the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, worked with researchers from Bangladesh over several decades to create a new type of natural fiber composite (NFC) material made from jute. In 2018, the Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) started the commercial production of Sonali Bag using a jute-based NFC developed by Mubarak Ahmad Khan.^{[4][5][6][7][2]} The product was named "Sonali Bag" (sonali is Bengali for "golden") by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. This name reflects a nickname used for jute in Bangladesh, 'the golden fiber'.^[8][9]