Mostafizur Rahman, a distinguished fellow at the Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD), emphasized the necessity of removing obstacles in selling the abandoned tannery land in Hazaribagh, Dhaka, to generate funds for struggling tannery institutions. He made these remarks during a webinar titled 'Is the Future of Bangladesh's Leather Industry Fading?' organized by the Power and Participation Research Center (PPRC) on Saturday.
Rahman noted that many tannery establishments in the country are facing financial crises. Selling the abandoned land in Hazaribagh could create a financial influx for these institutions. However, there are various restrictions on selling this land, and removing these barriers is essential.
He also commented on the need to relocate tanneries from Hazaribagh to the leather industrial park in Savar to reduce pollution. Rahman mentioned that the necessary infrastructure and policy support for the relocated tanneries in Savar have not been adequately provided.
Rahman highlighted the importance of obtaining the Leather Working Group (LWG) certification and complying with the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) imposed by the European Union (EU) starting from 2027. He stressed the need for Bangladesh to meet these standards to maintain market advantages even after graduating from the Least Developed Country (LDC) status.
Other speakers at the webinar included Mohammad Nurul Amin, Chairman of Bangladesh Agriculture Bank, and M A Sattar Mandal, an agricultural economist. They discussed various challenges and solutions for the leather industry in Bangladesh.
The webinar was moderated by Hossain Zillur Rahman, Executive Chairman of PPRC and former Advisor to the caretaker government.
