Implement national plan of action to save the tannery industry

The government of Bangladesh relocated the tannery factories from Hazaribagh to a newly developed tannery estate in Savar. Leather is one of the oldest industries in Bangladesh, which constitutes about three percent of the world’s market for leather and leather goods. Leather, leather goods and footwear exports from Bangladesh reached a 10-year-high of $1,245 million in FY2021-22.
However, Bangladeshi leather, leather goods and tanned leather goods exporters are forced to sell their products for 40 per cent below the actual price, for poor compliance. Now, it seems the undesirable export situation of the country’s leather goods must be forgotten in order to save the Dhaleshwari River from having tonnes of untreated liquid and solid waste dumped into it every day. While we support the move by the environment ministry to shut down the tannery complex in a bid to save the environment, we also hope that this will not result in a complete cessation of the production of leather goods.
If the CETP is constructed fully in the near future and the LWG certification is obtained, it would be ideal to revive the country’s multi-billion-dollar leather industry. If that happens, not only can the tanneries operate in a more environment-conscious manner, but the industry will also attract better prices for leather goods thanks to the LWG certification.
In terms of labour standards and workplace safety, the leather tanning industry is no exception from the country’s other labour-intensive industries, where sweatshop conditions are commonplace. Even after the relocation that promised better lives and work conditions for the tannery workers, the industry is still struggling to ensure the minimum wage, basic labour rights, and occupational safety and health.
Thus, the leather tanning industry in Bangladesh, failing to successfully deal with the challenges of weak environmental compliance on the one hand and poor labour standards and occupational safety on the other, has become subject to underperformance. We must draw a balance line to develop the industry keeping the environment pollution free.