Governments in Bangladesh have allotted leather export a 'thrust sector' status that is a traditional area of business and considered a driving force for the country's economy.
Yet, several flawed policy decisions in the past, and lack of dedicated efforts today, have denied the industry the deserved success.
Tannery is known as 'dirty industry' the world over, due to its environment polluting capacity.
Many tanneries at the Hazaribag area do not have proper effluent plants.
This creates pollution and put at risk health of localites .
As a result, Government has decided to move the tanneries to a new industrial park, which is equipped with modern treatment plants at the outskirts of Dhaka city.
But, this project is moving at a snail's pace.
To support government's efforts to develop Bangladesh's leather sector as a major export earner, Geneva based International Trade Centre (ITC) has agreed to establish Bangladesh Leather Service Centre (BLSC) at the Bangladesh College of Leather Technology in Dhaka.
The Leather Sector Business Promotion Council (LSBPC) would be the ITC's counterpart in Dhaka, for the project.
Currently, Bangladesh is exporting around US $230 million or about 0.4 percent of $65 billion world leather market and two percent target even in the next five years could be considered overtly ambitious.
However, industry insiders say the target is still very much achievable for Bangladesh.
Concerned authorities need to fully concentrate on the leather industry while removing obstacles in the way to its progress. Developed countries are relocating the so-called 'dirty' industries to Least Developed Countries (LDCs)like Bangladesh where lobour is also cheap.
Chairman of Bangladesh Finished Leather, Leathergoods and Footwear Exporters' Association had to secure sufficient salt supply during the Eid-ul-Azha when 40 percent of all raw leather becomes available in the market, sums of the overall state of the industry.
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