The Bangladesh government will provide technical and financial assistance to tanneries that have yet to start production after relocating to the Savar Tannery Industrial Estate, Commerce and Industries Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir said.

The minister announced the support while speaking at the Bangladesh-Netherlands Sustainable Trade Forum 2026 and the inauguration of the CBI Home Textiles and Leather Programme in Dhaka.

He said the government was also prioritising environmental compliance, modern waste management and international certification to improve the competitiveness of Bangladesh’s leather industry.

Referring to the prolonged relocation of tanneries from Hazaribagh to Hemayetpur in Savar he said the delay had hampered the development of the leather industry. The government was now taking steps to address the sector’s longstanding problems.

Factories occupying 50,000 square feet or more will have to install their own effluent treatment plants (ETPs). All tanneries in Savar will also be required to obtain certification from the Leather Working Group (LWG).

The government is also working to improve the capacity of the central effluent treatment plant (CETP) at the Savar estate and install an advanced chromium recovery unit to improve waste management.

The forum was jointly organised by the Netherlands’ Centre for the Promotion of Imports from Developing Countries (CBI) and LightCastle Partners. Netherlands Ambassador to Bangladesh Joris van Bommel and CBI Managing Director Judith Arends also attended the event.

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