Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun, the Minister of Industries, emphasised the need to establish a nationwide network dedicated to the collection and preservation of raw hides to enhance the local leather industry.
He made this statement as the chief guest during a workshop titled ‘Potentials and Challenges of the Leather Sector in Bangladesh: Points to Ponder,’ recently, which was organised by the Support to Sustainable Graduation Project of the Economic Relations Division.
The Minister also underscored the importance of improving the skill base within the leather industry, calling for necessary skill enhancements.
Special guests at the event included Abdul Baki, a member of the Planning Commission, and Md Saiful Islam, the President of the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The workshop was chaired by Sharifa Khan, the Secretary of the Economic Relations Division.
Leather is a vital and promising sector for Bangladesh’s trade and economy, having been the highest export-earning sector in the country after readymade garments in the previous fiscal year.
Recognising the significant potential of this industry, the Government has designated it as a top-priority sector.
Currently, leather and leather products from Bangladesh enjoy duty-free and quota-free access to various international markets.
The sector also benefits from several Government incentives, including cash incentives.
In this context, the workshop was organised to identify the potentials and challenges of the leather sector and to discuss strategies and the way forward for fully harnessing its potential.
Secretary Sharifa Khan called for the formulation of necessary policies to prepare the leather sector for the post-Least Developed Country (LDC) graduation scenario, while Abdul Baki, a member of the Planning Commission, stressed the importance of improving the ease of doing business in the country.
