BD can earn $7.0b a year from leather goods export

FE Report | Published: April 07, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00

Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu said Sunday Bangladesh can earn US$7 billion yearly from leather and leather goods export within the next 10 years by adding value to the products and pursuing environmentally-sustainable production.
He also said the industry can create 4.4 million new jobs by that time.
The minister was speaking at a roundtable meeting titled 'Tannery relocation: Development and possibilities' at a city auditorium.
Bangladesh Finished Leather, Leather Goods and Footwear Exporters Association (BFLLFEA) and Bangladesh Tanners Association (BTA) organised the roundtable in association with Asia Foundation and South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (SANEM).
BFLLFEA president Mohammad Abu Taher, BTA president Shahin Ahmed, Savar Tannery Estate project director Sirajul Haider, Dhaka University Economics Professor Dr. Bazlul Haque Khandaker, Asia Foundation director Syed Al Muti, Bangladesh University of Engineering Technology (BUET) Professor Dr. Delwar Hossain, Central Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) building company representative Ashikur Rahman and Bengal Leather Complex managing director Tipu Sultan also spoke at the meeting.
Speaking as the chief guest, Mr Amu urged tanners to start relocating as soon as possible, otherwise Bangladesh will lose international market, especially EU.
He said some people are hatching conspiracies in the industry and pursuing companies not to go to Savar.
Warning them, he said government will cancel allotment of industrial plots at Savar Tannery Park if anyone fails to relocate their factories within the stipulated time.
The government has taken such strict stance as some buyers of the European countries have set time limit that they would not import leather products from environmentally non-complaint countries.
"If any tannery has really any problem related to relocation, the government will consider the problem sympathetically to resolve it," he said.
Mohammad Abu Taher said the size of the global market of leather and leather goods is around $230 billion, of which Bangladesh's share is only $1 billion.
"Bangladesh cannot increase the size of its share due to many constraints including lack of environmentally compliant production and value addition despite having world's best leather," he said.
Shahin Ahmed sought government assistance for low interest loans for the meeting relocation cost.
"If we don't get loan for the relocation, it will be difficult for us to start shifting," he said.
Later, the minister launched a website named www.promotebdeather.com with a view to helping the industry grow and connecting buyers and stakeholders across the world.