The Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) has called for establishing an international standard central waste treatment plant (CETP) for the development of the leather sector.
The apex trade body came up with the observation during its meeting of the Standing Committee on Hide and Skin, Leather and Leather Goods and Artificial Leather, at the apex trade body office in Dhaka on Sunday.
FBCCI President Md Jashim Uddin said leather is one of the most potential sectors in Bangladesh and an international standard CETP is necessary for the development of the sector.
"The sector makes 100 per cent value addition. However, raw leather has to be imported from abroad for making leather goods where the country's own raw leather is rotting due to a lack of proper management," he said.
Mr Uddin underscored the need for quality CETP located in Savar's Hemayetpur and its speedy implementation to exploit the potential of the leather sector.
Compliance and certification are essential to promote Bangladeshi leather and leather products in the global market, he observed.
Mr Uddin called for the inclusion of the young generation to modernise the leather sector.
Speaking on the occasion, FBCCI Senior Vice-President Mostofa Azad Chowdhury Babu opined that a cold storage facility and a modern slaughterhouse can be established in each district to protect native leather.
Slaughterhouses can also be a source of business if animal slaughtering is conducted properly as per the government guidelines, he noted.
FBCCI Vice President Md Amin Helaly suggested increasing the use of cold storage, in order to facilitate supplying raw leather at any time of the year according to the demand.
About 60 per cent of the total demand of raw hides comes from different parts of the country; but due to a lack of proper management, those are not stored properly, the meeting discussed.
Establishment of modern slaughterhouses and the construction of adequate cold storage facilities are very important to reduce imports by preserving raw leather, it underscored.
Standing committee Chairman and Managing Director of Leatherex Footwear Ind. Ltd. Mohammed Nazmul Hassan Sohail presided over the meeting.
He called for the commercialisation of the local slaughterhouses and certification for the development of the leather sector.
