Business Report :
The 11th edition of Leathertech Bangladesh 2025, the country’s premier international technology trade show for leather, footwear machinery, shoe materials, chemicals, and accessories, officially began in the capital Thursday. The event was inaugurated at the Expo Village within the International Convention City Bashundhara (ICCB), Dhaka.
Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun, Executive Chairman of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), inaugurated the fair and hailed the event as a major step toward realising the full potential of Bangladesh’s leather industry. “An exhibition like Leathertech is not merely a showcase; it is a remarkable initiative to propel the sector toward its ultimate potential,” he said. “I firmly believe that with coordinated efforts between the public and private sectors, Bangladesh’s leather industry will advance much further.”
Syed Nasim Manzur, president of the Leather Goods and Footwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (LFMEAB), said the sector is at a critical juncture to accelerate export-oriented manufacturing. “To move to the next level, policy liberalisation is essential. Strengthening the right connections with neighbouring economies will help technological development in the leather sector progress even faster,” he added.
The 11th edition of Leathertech features international participation, including pavilions from the Council for Leather Exports India, Pakistan Tanners Association, India Footwear Components Manufacturers Association, and the Guangdong Shoe-Making Machinery Association of China. Nearly 200 exhibitors from 8 countries, including Bangladesh, are participating, making it the largest technology trade show for the leather sector in the country, according to Tipu Sultan Bhuiyan, Managing Director of ASK Trade and Exhibitions Pvt Ltd, which is organising the event with LFMEAB support.
Leathertech Bangladesh began 11 years ago as a platform to bring advanced manufacturing technologies for footwear, travel goods, and allied products closer to end users. The leather and footwear sector is Bangladesh’s second-largest export industry after ready-made garments, contributing approximately 3 percent of the global leather goods market and meeting nearly 10 percent of global leather demand.
The sector has shown signs of recovery, with leather and footwear exports posting a 9.7% year-on-year growth in October 2025, reaching $591.5 million compared to $539.4 million last year, according to Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) data.
The trade show runs daily from 11?am to 7?pm, with free entry for business visitors, offering opportunities for networking, investment, and technology transfer for local and international stakeholders.
