Bangladesh Industries Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir has called for German investment and technology cooperation to help develop the country’s leather industry into a more export oriented, environmentally sustainable and internationally competitive sector.
The minister made the call during a meeting with German Ambassador to Bangladesh Dr. Rüdiger Lotz in Dhaka on September 14.
Muktadir said Bangladesh sees opportunities to deepen economic relations with Germany through investment, technology transfer, product diversification, value addition and quality improvement.
On the leather sector, he said Bangladesh has significant export potential but needs to improve environmental standards and compliance to strengthen its position in international markets.
He highlighted the need to reduce water consumption, increase the use of clean energy and adopt modern environment-friendly technologies. According to the minister, German investment and technology could support these efforts and help improve the competitiveness of Bangladesh’s leather and leather goods industry.
Muktadir also pointed to opportunities for cooperation in shipbuilding, ship recycling and light engineering, saying Bangladesh aims to develop these sectors along similar lines to its successful readymade garment industry.
German Ambassador Lotz welcomed the progress and potential of Bangladesh’s industrial sector and expressed interest in expanding cooperation in areas including leather, shipbuilding and ship recycling.
The two sides also discussed bilateral trade and investment, technology transfer, industrial partnerships, skills development and sustainable industrialisation.
