Savar Leather Park to get Leather Working Group certification next year: SF Rahman 

Being satisfied with the pace at which the construction work of Savar Leather Industrial Park is going on, Salman F Rahman, prime minister's private industry and investment adviser, expressed optimism that Bangladesh will be able to achieve the Leather Working Group certification early next year.

After getting the certification, the country's export of leather and leather goods will increase, bringing an end to all the existing barriers.

He said this while addressing a review meeting on the progress of the Common Effluent Treatment Plant project in the Savar Leather Industrial Park at its conference room on Tuesday. 

Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun presided over the meeting.

Salman F Rahman said in the meeting they decided to invite the Leather Working Group at the beginning of the next year to audit the leather park as a requirement for the certification.

Salman F Rahman said solid waste is increasing gradually, but there is no adequate place for dumping those.

The PM's adviser said sufficient land will be allocated for the industrial park authority very soon for dumping solid waste.

During the meeting, the industries minister said the project has to be completed within the stipulated time to exploit the huge potential of the Bangladeshi leather industry in the international market.

He also directed the persons concerned to cancel the plot allotment of those who did not set up factories in the industrial area.

Saiful Islam, president of the Leather Goods and Footwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association of Bangladesh, Shahin Ahmed, president of Bangladesh Tanners Association, Mohiuddin Ahmed Mahin, chairman of Bangladesh Finished Leather, Leather Goods and Footwear Exporters Association, and Major (retd) Mirza Anwarul Kabir, representative from Apex Group were present at the meeting. 

The meeting decided to conduct a mock audit as a preparation to achieve the Leather Working Group certificate.

At the same time, the meeting decided to allocate suitable land for the by-product producers for solid waste management. The plots will be allotted by cancelling the allotment of plots where the tannery factories have not yet been set up.

Earlier, a detailed report on the latest status of the leather industry development work was presented at the meeting.

Among others, Md Abdul Halim, industrial secretary, Md Mushtaq Hasan NDC, chairman of Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation, Prof Md Delwar Hossain, team leader of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Engineer Jitendranath Pal, director of Leather Industrial Park Project, were present at the meeting.