The Bangladesh Sericulture Development Board (BSDB; ) is a statutory body under the Ministry of Textiles and Jute responsible for the development of sericulture and the silk industry in Bangladesh. Its headquarters are in Rajshahi.
The present Board was established in 2013 through the merger of the Bangladesh Sericulture Board, the Bangladesh Sericulture Research and Training Institute and the Bangladesh Silk Foundation. Its responsibilities include sericulture planning and extension, research and training, development of mulberry cultivation and silkworm varieties, production and distribution of disease-free silkworm eggs, quality improvement of raw silk, marketing support and assistance to people engaged in silk production.
History
Organised government involvement in sericulture in the region predates the present Board. According to the Bangladesh Sericulture Development Board, a separate government unit for silk development was established in 1914. After the Partition of India in 1947, sericulture activities in East Pakistan were placed under the industries and commerce administration and were later transferred to the small and cottage industries organisation.
During the 1960s, additional silkworm-seed centres, sericulture extension centres, the Rajshahi Silk Factory and research and training facilities were established to support silk production.
The Bangladesh Sericulture Board Ordinance, 1977 provided for the creation of a specialised national board for the welfare of people engaged in sericulture and for the development of the silk industry. The Bangladesh Sericulture Board was established in 1978 with its head office in Rajshahi.
Under the 1977 ordinance, sericulture extension programmes, nurseries and silk factories previously operated by the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation were transferred to the Sericulture Board.
The institutional structure changed several times. The Silk Research and Training Institute had been formed in 1974 through the merger of earlier silk research and technology institutes and came under the Sericulture Board after its establishment. In 2003, it was separated from the Board and placed directly under the Ministry of Textiles and Jute.
The Bangladesh Sericulture Development Board Act, 2013 merged the Bangladesh Sericulture Board, the Bangladesh Sericulture Research and Training Institute and the Bangladesh Silk Foundation into a single statutory organisation named the Bangladesh Sericulture Development Board. The Act also designated Rajshahi as the Board's headquarters.
Functions
The statutory functions of the Board include planning and developing sericulture and the silk industry and supporting scientific, technical and economic research and training. The Board is also responsible for extending research findings to producers and conserving silkworm genetic resources.
Its responsibilities include developing improved methods of cultivating mulberry and other plants used in sericulture, producing and distributing healthy silkworm eggs, improving cocoon reeling and raw-silk production, and providing technical advice to reelers and other producers.
The Board is authorised to collect data on the sericulture industry, facilitate credit for people engaged in the sector, assist with the supply of materials and equipment, support domestic and international marketing of silk products and provide training for rearers, reelers, spinners, weavers and printers.
Research and training
Research and training activities are carried out through the Bangladesh Sericulture Research and Training Institute in Rajshahi, which operates under the Board following the 2013 institutional merger.
The institute conducts research on mulberry varieties, silkworm breeding, disease management, cocoon production, silk reeling and related production technologies.
The government has also pursued international technical cooperation. In August 2026, Bangladesh and Chinese researchers held a conference in Rajshahi on sericulture research and development, with cooperation focused on technology, research, training, mulberry cultivation and improved silk-yarn production.
Extension and development activities
The Board operates sericulture extension, nursery, silkworm-rearing and production facilities in different parts of the country. A 2025 report by The Business Standard described a network of 59 extension centres, 11 nurseries and 20 silkworm-rearing units operated by the Board.
The government's 2025–26 Annual Development Programme included the second phase of the Integrated Plan for Extension and Development of Sericulture in Bangladesh, scheduled from 2021 to 2026 and implemented by the Board.
Activities under recent development programmes have included expansion of mulberry cultivation, farmer training, distribution of silkworm eggs and establishment of silkworm-rearing facilities.
Silk factories
The Board is associated with state-owned silk-production facilities in Rajshahi and Thakurgaon.
The Rajshahi Silk Factory was established in 1959–60 and began operating as a model factory in 1961. It was transferred to the Bangladesh Sericulture Board after the Board was created and was closed in November 2002 after sustained financial losses.
Experimental weaving resumed at the Rajshahi factory from 2017 and 2018. By January 2026, the factory had produced 57,366 metres of fabric since operations resumed.
The Thakurgaon Silk Factory was established in the 1970s and transferred to the Sericulture Board in 1981. It was closed in 2002 after recurring losses. After remaining closed for almost 21 years, the factory resumed production in August 2023 after being leased to the private Suprio Group for five years.
Sector conditions
Bangladesh's domestic production of silk yarn remains well below national demand. In 2025, The Business Standard, citing the Sericulture Development Board, reported that locally produced silk thread met only about 10 percent of demand. The sector has consequently remained dependent on imported silk yarn.
The same report identified shortages of skilled workers, declining participation in silk farming and competition from imported and imitation silk products as continuing problems for the industry. It also reported that only 107 of the Board's 581 sanctioned posts were filled at the time.
In 2026, the government announced further plans to modernise the Rajshahi silk industry through improved technology, research and training, expansion of mulberry cultivation and cooperation with Chinese research institutions.
See also Rajshahi silk Bangladesh Sericulture Research and Training Institute Textile arts of Bangladesh Bangladesh Handloom Board Ministry of Textiles and Jute
References