He said this at the opening ceremony of the ‘10th Bangladesh Leather and Footwear Expo 2026’ at the International Convention City Bashundhara in Kuril, the capital, on Thursday.
Economy
Stakeholders' opinions will be taken in preparing the roadmap for the leather and footwear industry
The commerce secretary said a high-level committee has been formed, chaired by the commerce minister, to develop the leather industry. The roadmap will reflect the experience and demands of relevant stakeholders, including tannery owners, manufacturers, traders and technologists.
He said the country has leather raw materials and skilled manpower. Alongside increasing the use of domestic leather goods, there are opportunities to expand exports in the international market. Entrepreneurs will be provided with necessary support to meet the demands of foreign buyers and international standards.
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He emphasized environmental and social responsibility, technological capacity and product traceability to increase competitiveness in the international market. He also said work is underway to create responsible business conduct and a national traceability framework to this end.
The commerce secretary also emphasized increasing collaboration between industry entrepreneurs and leather technology students and researchers. He said initiatives will be taken to include this matter in the roadmap.
More than 250 domestic and foreign companies are participating in the expo, to be held at ICCB from September 24 to 26. The exhibition has been organized by Bangladesh Tanners Association, Leather Engineers and Technologists Society Bangladesh, and Limra Trade Fairs and Exhibitions.