Tannery Industry in Bangladesh:

Good or Bad?

Tannery Industry in Bangladesh:

Good or bad?
1

Prepared for
Dr. Md. Monirul Islam (Monir)
Associate Professor
Department of Environmental Studies and Management
North South University

Prepared by
Group: 06
ID

Name
T.M. Ratul Islam
Abir Noor Arick
Tania Yasmin Eva
Kazi Tawhid Aziz
Md. Kamrul Islam

1321060030
1320872030
1321211030
1321145030
1320597030

Date: February 24, 2015

Letter of Transmittal
February 23, 2015
Dr. Md. Monirul Islam (Monir)
2

Associate Professor,
Department of Environmental Studies and management,
North South University, Dhaka.
Subject: Submission of report on Tannery Industry in Bangladesh: Good or Bad
Dear Sir,
Here is the report that we assigned on the topic of tannery industry in Bangladesh:
good or bad that you gave us. The report has been completed by the knowledge that
we have gathered from the course Introduction to Environmental Science. We are
grateful to all those persons who provided us important information and gave us
valuable advices. We would be pleased if you read the report carefully.
We have tried our label best to complete this project meaningfully and correctly. We
do believe that our tiresome effort will help you to get ahead with this sort of venture.
In this case it will be meaningful to us. However, if you need any assistance in
interpreting this project please contact us without any kind of hesitation.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Your sincerely,
T.M. Ratul Islam

1321060030

Abir Noor Arick

1320872030

Tania Yasmin Eva

1321211030

Kazi Tawhid Aziz

1321145030

Md. Kamrul Islam

1320597030

INDEX

Name

Topic

Page

Md. Kamrul Islam

Tannery as an Industry

06

Abir Noor Arick

Expanding Economy

11

Kazi Tawhid Aziz

Water Pollution

15

Tania Yasmin Eva

Air Pollution

20

T.M. Ratul Islam

Planning for future Tannery Industry

24

Executive Summary
We are passing through the age of globalization where there has been a vital change in
the world environment regarding producing carbon and many others chemical things
4

in many productive businesses from the beginning of 21 st century. We are moving

towards production business but we are not concern about the negative impact of this
type of production business like tannery industry in our country. Environmental issues
now a great problem for all the countries in the world not only for Bangladesh.
Environmental Science is the most superior and successful key to solve this negative
environmental issues. Not a single country is now free from negative impact of
environment. The only way to cope with this we have to understand mutually and do
something significantly to eradicate this environmental problem.
This project provides an analysis and evaluation of current topic in our country. The
topic is tannery industry in Bangladesh: good or bad? Yeh, this is a question. Our
answer is newtral. Because economically we are getting positive impact for this
tannery industry but environmentally this is harmful.
Our study is on the tannery as an industry, economic growth, pollution like water and
air and comparison between these things. We have done our best and we get a neutral
answer and that is tannery industry in Bangladesh is not bad but we have to think at
first about our environment and we have to do it eco friendly way not only think
economically.

The economy of Bangladesh is market base

economy. The economy is increasingly led by
export-oriented

industrialization.

The

Bangladesh textile industry is the secondlargest in the world. Other key sectors include
pharmaceuticals, ceramics, leather goods and
electronics.

Tannery as an industry
The history of the leather sector and tannery industry in Bangladesh started in 1940
when R.P Saha set up first tannery in Narayanganj. It was shifted to Hazaribagh area
of Dhaka. At present, the leather sector of Bangladesh has 220 processing units
located at different parts of the country. Today the leather sector is a major industry in
the country. The basis of this sector is the domestic supply of rawhides and skins of
goat, cow and buffalo. Total capital invested in the tannery industry is estimated at
Taka 2.5 billion. Bangladesh currently produces around 23.0 million sq. meters of
leather and leather goods per year. According to Leather Sector Census Study, 2005
total production was.
Name of production
wet blue leather
Crust leather
Finished leather
Total

Amount of Leather in square feet

35060000
66172000
134820000
236052000

Tannery industries of Bangladesh

Leather is the basis of one of the oldest industries in Bangladesh and plays a
significant role in the national economy. This is an agro-based by-product industry
with locally available indigenous raw materials having a potential for export
development. Bangladesh leather is widely known around the world for its high
qualities of fine grain, uniform fibre, smooth feel and natural texture. This is a great
6

respect for our country and a great motivation for tannery industry. Here some
tannery industry that suited in Hazaribagh.

Company Name

Product and sevices

A. Sultan Leather Enterprise.

ABUL KHAIR TANNERY
Akata Enterprise
AYUB BROTHERS TANNERY LTD
East Asia Tanneries Ltd
Elite Leather Export
Fakunda Leather
Habiba Leather Complex
Ital Bengal Leathers

Hide & Skin

Hide & Skin
Hide & Skin
Hide & Skin
Hide & Skin
Hide & Skin
Hide & Skin
Hide & Skin
Crust & Finished Leather Manufacture

KALAM BROTHERS TANNERY LTD

Leather Zone
Link International
Mark Leather Complex
Meherun Enterprise
Mukta Tannery Ltd
Phoenix Leather Complex Ltd
Sarm Leather International co.

Exporter.
Leather & Leather Goods Exporter
Hide & Skin
Hide & Skin
Hide & Skin
Leather & Leather Goods
Tannery
Hide & Skin
Hide & Skin

Leather & Leather Goods:

About 95%of leather and leather products of Bangladesh are marketed abroad, mostly
in the form of crushed leather, finished leather, leather garments, and footwear. Most
7

leather and leather goods go to Germany, Italy, France, Netherlands, Spain, Russia,
Brazil, Japan, China, Singapore and Taiwan. The sector exported 178 million square
feet of leather and earned $160 million. The country's share in the world leather
market is 2%. The export of finished products such as shoes, slippers, leather jackets,
hand gloves, bags, purses, wallets, and belts also earn a sizeable amount of foreign
currency.

Bangladesh's main market & export volume, growth

According to Export Promotion Bureau leather industry earned $ 1.10 billion in the
last year by exporting of finished goods and footwear. Export Promotion bureau data
shows that footwear has earned $ 443.54 million, finished leather earned $ 424.05 and
lastly leather goods earned $ 197. However, about 60 % of export of leather and
leather goods consign to European Union countries and rest 40 % to Japan, USA,
India and Australia. New Zealand, Austria, Bulgaria, Bahrain, Costa Rica, Indonesia,
Ireland, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Lithuania, Morocco, Mauritius, Turkey and Vietnam are
the new Markets for export. Leather processing and leather manufacturing in
Bangladesh is almost entirely export-oriented. Some 95-98% of the leather produced
is for export in one form others.

Leather Industry export in million $

Leather

2010
226.10

2011
297.83

2012
330.16
8

2013
399.73

2014
424.05

Leather Product 29.06

Footwear
204.09

55.42
297.8

99.36
338.52

161.62
419.32

197.36
443.53

Total

651.05

768.04

980.67

1064.94

459.25

Graph: Leather Industry export in million $

500
400
2010

300

2011

200

2012

100

2013

2014
Leather

Leather Product

Footwear

Advantage of relocations tannery industries:

Hazaribagh is the most polluted areas in the world. Foreigner buyers noticed these
damages of environment. Since many years buyer were urging for a permanent
solutions. But they warned that they are going to boycott any kind of leather items
from Bangladesh. Many experts dealing with world export business believe, once
tanneries are relocated from Hazaribagh to Savar, this means it is very urgent to shift
tanneries in a safe environment. After completion of this new safety-compliant
industrial area, Bangladeshi leather will be able to attract many buyers like Puma,
Hugo Boss, Pierre Cardin, Walmart and many more. On completion of the relocation
of the tannery industry to the Savar Tannery Complex, the plan has to redevelop this
Hazaribagh area absolutely for residential purpose. At that time, Buriganga river will
get her own original view from its present picture of most polluted river in the world.
In addition, Buriganga can serve as an alternative river transport route for Dhaka city
which can play a major role in reducing traffic jam more.

What is the future of tannery industry?

9

Bangladesh still have very much a source of raw materials. Tannery transforms
rawhides into leather for manufacturing goods like shoe, bag, suitcase, belt, wallet,
jacket etc., which are very demandable product for foreigners. But at present the main
issue of relocating of this leather industry can cause of severe damage to this sector.
At BOLOGNA fair our foreign buyers urged not to buy any leather products from
Bangladesh which is very much embarrassing to us. In this situation, government and
all concerned sectors should come forward to recover our history of leather industry.

Expanding Economy:
City is the centre of the entire leather industry of Bangladesh. Nearly 149 tanneries of
the 200 producers of leather and leather products are located the industrial areas in
10

Bangladesh are situated in the midst of densely populated regions. There are many
hazardous and potentially dangerous polluting industries situated in the cities of
Bangladesh. In Dhaka at Tejgaon area, food processing industries are situated along
with chemical and heavy metal processing industries. In Tongi a pharmaceutical
industry is situated near a pesticide producing industry.
Tannery industries of Hazaribagh also situated in a heavily populated residential area.
These examples are repeated in the cities of Chittagong, Khulna and other smaller
cities of Bangladesh.
Industrialization has been rapid in Bangladesh during the last decade, particularly in
the sectors of leather, pharmaceuticals and industrial chemicals. However, these
industries are discharging and dumping their wastes and aflluent without treatment
into nearby water bodies. Tanning-one of the oldest industries in the country
contributes to agreat extent. Most tanneries are in Dhaka, beside the River Buriganga
into which they flush their waste water. Studies have found high levels of pollution at
several points in the river. Macrophytes in the river absorb various amounts of
nutrients and pollutants, but the macrophytes are then eaten by livestock or humans.
Other studies have measured heavy metal species in soils and plants in the tannery
areas that have been affected by tannery waste. In grasses, Cr accumulates to
concentrations exceeding the limits set by health authorities, and the yields and
performance of rice and wheat are reduced.
There are at present 214 tanneries in Bangladesh: 200 of them in the city of Dhaka
and 14 others scattered all over the country. Covering an area of25 ha, Hazaribagh in
the heart of Dhakain the Hazaribagh area. Fifty three of these 149 operate all year
round (Enamul Haque et al. 1997). Tanneries in Hazaribagh were started in 1960 by
Punjabi traders from what was then Pakistan. The industries grew and, after the
independence of Bangladesh in 1971, became a 'cash cow' to earn foreign currencies.
In terms of foreign exchange earnings, hides and leather are among the five leading
commodities in Bangladesh (Khatun and H uq 1994; Enamul Haque et al. 1997). It
has been estimated that about 13 500000 pieces of hides and skins from all over the
country are brought to Hazaribagh every year for processing. The peak time of
collection is during the Muslim festival of animal sacrifice, the Eid-ul-Adha. These
industries influence local and foreign exchange and also the environment of
Bangladesh.
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Effect on Economy:
The leather industry sector is the fourth largest foreign exchange earner of the
country, contributing about 6% of total export earnings. Export earnings from the
leather industries sector in 1995- 96 was $237.79 million, of which $211.70 million
was from leather exports, and $26.09 million) from export of finished leather
products. The leather sector provides about 10000 jobs in Dhaka alone. It has been
reported in a survey that manufacturing industries in and around Dhaka city provide
about 270000 jobs, which is around 25% of the total employees in the city.

Economic Growth by Exporting Leather:

12

This is increasing day by day. So this is a great opportunity for our business man and
also for our employment and total economy. But our current political situation is not
good and for that we are loosing our share day by day also. Our share is going now to
China, India, Vietnam, Combodia and other countries from south east Asia. This is not
good at all for our economic growth.

Leather Footwear in Bangladesh:

13

We have discussed about good things now the bad things. This tannery industry has a
lot of bad things. Pollution is one of the most horrible thing in this tannery business.
Mostly it is affecting our water and air. Water and air are the most abundant elements
in the environment so our total atmosphere is affected. For this people having diseases
in these area. Tannery produces many chemicals and those are poisonous for
cultivation so day by day farmers are loosing their income and their profession is in
now danger.
In Hazaribag, people cant live. People dont want to live in that area because of
pollution of water and air. A new person cant take any breath beside in tannery for
horrible bad smell. People are shifting their residence from that place but only who
can afford.

Water pollution by tannery:

As we all know water is the essential elements to survive our life. Every living
organism needs water in order to function properly. And, you don't need any other
14

liquid to survive. After all, it's the liquid that makes up 70% of our body mass-pure
water. Your body relies on water to digest food and to expel waste. But this important
element continuously pollute by so many ways. One of the biggest pollution of water
is tannery's pollution.

Colours of Water: Bangladeshs Leather Tanneries:

Fuelled by a growing international appetite for leather, the industry represents a
sizeable chunk of Bangladeshs yearly export revenues $284 million in 2007-08.
There are about 200 leather tanneries in the Hazaribagh in Dhaka district, the capital.
Some use modest technology and machinery, but most operate as they did decades
ago and release untreated toxic chemical waste near residential areas.
The first thing noticeable there when someone walks through the streets of
Hazaribagh is the horrible and seemingly all-pervasive stench of tanning chemicals.
According to the Department of Environment, the tanneries discharge 22,000 cubic
meters of untreated liquid toxic waste daily into the rivers, gutters and canals that run
alongside in the roads of Hazaribagh. Toxins are also leaching into groundwater.
The chemicals end up forming colored ponds, lakes and rivers of toxic waste in
residential areas and are causing much harm to the 20,000 people who work and live
in the tanning district. Most are suffering from chronic respiratory problems, skin
diseases and even destruction of the nasal septum. They have to pay their maximum
earnings for their diseases.

15

The PH of water in Bar chart format

Picture collected from Hazaribagh tannery

Now you see, this is the most black water I have ever seen. You cant imagine how
much affected this water by poisonus chemicals. We cant understand how people live
in this place.

16

BURIGANGA River - Pollution & Poison:

The most pollution creating industries of Bangladesh are tanning industries
concentrated mainly in Hazaribagh area in the south-western part of Dhaka. Most
tanneries of Hazaribagh flush their waste water directly into Buriganga River.
About 150 tannery units are located at Hazaribagh of Dhaka in only 50 acres of land
popularly known as tannery estate. Fifty three of these 149 operate all year round.
Apart from the tanneries, there are two paint factories plus 70 manually operated glue
factories and one mechanized glue factory. Tannery transforms raw hides and skins
into leather for manufacturing articles like shoe-upper, bag, suitcase, belt, wallet and
jacket. In the past, leather processing was done manually using certain indigenous
chemicals.
Annually 100-150 million sq. feet raw hides and skins are produced in Bangladesh
and about 85% of which is exported in crust and finished form. Some noteworthy
tanneries of Bangladesh are Karim Leather, Dhaka Leather, Samata Tannery, Apex
Tannery, and Bay Tannery and Lexco limited.
Among various organic and inorganic wastes, discharged from tanning industries,
heavy metals are the most concerning factor. And among the hazardous heavy metals,
chromium is the most noteworthy. Chromium is being discharged in the environment
under various chemically, physically, and morphologically different forms. Most
surface water contains very low level of chromium, except the wastewater coming
from industries. Industries dealing with paints, pigments, dyes, textile, leather, etc. are
an important source of discharge of chromium in to the environment. Chromium can
act directly at the site of contact or be absorbed into, or through, human tissue.
Allergic contact dermatitis is the most prominent reaction from the interaction of
chromium with skin. Dermatitis is a sensitization to chromates creating an eczemalike condition.

17

Water of Buriganga River

Polluting Tanneries in Bangladesh Face Fines :

For probably the first time, Bangladeshs government has leveled pollution-related
fines against two leather tanneries in Hazaribagh, a Dhaka neighborhood so polluted
with waste from its roughly 150 tanneries that residents and workers are plagued by
serious health problems.
This announcement came four months after Human Rights Watch released a report
revealing the extent of workers and residents broken-down health, ranging from
painful skin diseases to respiratory illnesses. A senior official in Bangladeshs
Environment Department told Human Rights Watch, There are no monitoring and no
enforcement in Hazaribagh.
The two tanneries were fined for not having effluent treatment plants, which would
treat their chemical-laced wastewater.

Youtube link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kT3xjfxMmoc.

18

This video has shown by Human Rights Watch and they indicate that Hazaribag is one
of the most pollutant urban environment in the world. 150 tanneries always produce
strong pungent water chemicals and everyday estimated 2100 cubic meters of
untreated waste water loaded with dangerous chemicals flow near by river.
The environment of this area is unbearable. The foul smelling air from the tanneries
causes nausea and vomiting. Non of the tanneries have waste treatment plants even
though they mandated by Bangladeshi law. Job facilities are not standard at all,
workers have no training even they dont have personal protective equipment. They
work without masks, hand gloves, shoes etc. Thats why they are suffering from skin
diseases every day in year because of polluted water.

After water pollution air pollution is the most dangerous pollution caused by tannery
industry. Not only in tannery area but also it affects besides other area in tannery
industry. This is like explosion. Day by day it increasing temperature by producing
carbon.

19

Air pollution by tannery:

This chart is showing what the factors are for the cause of air pollution. I am surprised
by the percent (52%) that is contributed from the industry. Industry contributes
(example from smokestacks) a large portion of what we breath everyday.

Air pollution is one of a variety of manmade environmental disasters that are

currently taking place all over the world. Air pollution may be defined as an
atmospheric condition in which various substances are present at concentrations high
enough above their normal ambient levels to produce a measurable effect on people,
animals, vegetation, or materials. Exposure to air pollution is the main environmental
threat to human health in many towns and cities. Particulate emission is mainly
responsible for increased death rate and respiratory problems for the urban population.
Air pollution has become a matter of great concern for us in recent years. Those who
are living in cities in Asian countries including Dhaka have already realized how
seriously air pollution has been poisoning life and degrading the environment. People
living in major towns of Bangladesh experience the problems of air pollution in
varied degrees. The air quality of Dhaka city shows that the concentration of
suspended particles in the ambient air is many times higher than normal. This air,
which the city dwellers and road users regularly breathe, contains lead in

20

concentrations reportedly almost ten times higher than the government safety standard
set by the Department of Environment (DOE).

Picture collected from Hazaribagh tannery

Current situation of Hazaribag for air pollution:

The effluents released from the tanning industries at Hazaribagh are huge in quantity.
It is unimaginable how much damage the effluents have caused to the environment
over the years. The inhabitants of the surrounding areas (approx. 2.0 million) are
seriously affected by openly discharged waste water and huge smoke with carbon
from the tanneries of Hazaribagh. Workers in many leather tanneries in the
Hazaribagh neighborhood of Dhaka, the Bangladesh capital, including children as
young as 11, become ill because of exposure to hazardous chemicals and smoke of
carbon, Human Rights Watch said in a report released currently. The tanneries, which
export hundreds of millions of dollars in leather for luxury goods throughout the
world, spew pollutants into surrounding communities. You cant go there because of
bad smell but the workers are doing their job without masks. This is not acceptable
but we dont obey our law.

21

The 101-page report, Toxic Tanneries: The Health Repercussions of Bangladeshs

Hazaribagh Leather, documents an occupational health and safety crisis among
tannery workers, both men and women, including skin diseases, air polluted diseases
and respiratory illnesses caused by exposure to tanning chemicals, and limb
amputations caused by accidents in dangerous tannery machinery. Residents of
Hazaribagh slums complain of illnesses such as fevers, skin diseases, respiratory
problems, and diarrhea caused by the extreme tannery pollution of air, water, and soil.
The government has not protected the right to health of the workers and residents, has
consistently failed to enforce labour or environmental laws in Hazaribagh, and has
ignored High Court orders to clean up these tanneries.

Diseases from air pollution:

Human Rights Watch has analyzed data from Hazaribag recent air quality. This is
horrible, the more you learn about the air you breath, the more you want to protect
tour health and take steps to make our air cleaner and healthier.
Maximum people who live in this area are suffering from asthma a breathing disorder
caused by air pollution. Chronic bronchitis, heart problems and pancreatic problems
are also caused on a large level by air pollution in this area. In Hazaribag children are
suffering from brains conditions like autism because they are growing up in locality
full of toxic air pollution. Lung cancer is the most dangerous disease from air
pollution. And skin allergy is the very common disease because of air pollution.

Ways to avoid air pollution:

As we know there are different components which are responsible for polluting the air
and are harmful for all living organisms such as human, plants and animals. But at the
same time where some components are present to polluting the air and there is many
way to avoid or prevent air from pollution. Some important steps which are used
world wide to prevent air from pollution are as follows:
1. As we know that the smoke of the vehicles plays an important role in spreading the
air pollution and that is very harmful for human life. Vehicles produces carbon
22

dioxide and we have to altered these vehicles into such alternatives which doesnt
produce carbon dioxide and that vehicles are called green vehicles.
2. From the new researches it is confirmed that turn off the unused light also reduce
air pollution. When we dont turn off the unwanted lights, the electricity plants
continuously produce electricity with the help of different types of nuclear reactions
of fossil fuel that pollute the air, so we should turn off the unwanted lights to reduce
air pollution.
3. We should not discard the unwanted goods with our on hands or with our own
techniques such as burning. We should call the special department to dispose them.
4. We should avoid developing different types of manufacturing industries such as
tanneries in the city to prevent on the contamination of air with poisonous gases.
5. We should use the process of recycling because if used new material to produce
new products it would require a lot of energy, that would be achieved with help of
burning of chemicals which pollute the air.
6. We should grow different types of plants to avoid the air pollution created by the
carbon dioxide and many gases.
7. We should also avoid smoking of cigarettes of different kind of such products to
avoid air pollution.
8. We should use different types of catalytic converters to reduce the emission of
smoke during burning the materials such as woods.
9. we should follow the rules and regulations of your specific area also to reduce air
pollution.
10. We should use the eco friendly products to avoid air pollution and also some other
kind of pollution.

23

Planning for future tannery industry:

About half a million residents in Dhaka are at risk of serious illness due to chemical
pollution from tanneries near their homes, according to a report released last year by
the Bangladesh Society for Environment and Human Development (SEHD) and the
most affected area is Hazaribag, a community in the south east corner of Dhaka,
where 240 tanneries are located on 25 hectares of land, the report notes.
The report of SEHD says that:
1. 8000-12000 workers of tanneries suffer from many water and air polluted diseases.
2. This report says that 58% of the tanneries workers suffer from Gastrointestinal
disease (24% of the country as a whole), 31% from Dermatological Disease (9% of
the country as a whole), 12% from Hypertension (0.9% of the country as a whole),
and 19% from jaundice (0.7% of the country as a whole).
3. Dermatological and other diseases could be related to the pollution and that 90% of
them die before the age of 50. About a quarter of these workers are under 11 years of
age.

Current situation of tannery industries:

1. Most of the tanneries are 30-35 years old and use mineral tanning process.
2. Discharge about 6000 cubic meters of liquid effluent and ten tons of solid everyday,
according to figures from the Bangladesh government and the Food and Agriculture
Organization.
3. Tannery industry throw chromium as waste which is a potential harmful chemical
because of carcinogenic potential.
4. Acid effluents, it adds, can cause severe respiratory problem.
5. Gaseous emission from the tanneries contain sulphur dioxide that is converted into
sulphuric acid on contact with moisture and can damage lung.
24

6. The tanneries emit bad odour and pollute the air beyond tolerable limits.

Taking actions:
1. Formal government action: Much legislative action has been taken in favour
of tanneries industries during the past decades by our government. Government
impose some rules, regulation, and obligations on this business to prevent and solve
those problems creating by tannery industry. Some of them are:
a) They should obey the environment conservation act 1995 and environment
conservation rules 1997.
b) They have to use water refine system in the factories.
c) They must clean their work place and have to provide healthy uniform for their
employees.

2. Political action: In tannery industry political action has a great impact. Because
most of the local politicians are backing this tannery industry. So from the top of the
politics have to create pressure locally.

3. Social action: Social activist group come forward to make awareness, they can
do campaign as well. They have to raise their voice with local people against this
situation.

4. Media action: Now in our country media has strong voice. So they have to
telecast time to time about the problem of tannery industry.
All these laws, Regulation, campaign etc are implemented to protect the environment
from pollution caused by tannery industry. But all these legal implements are come
into vain so we need to think some other way.

25

Economical thoughts:
Its no secret that Bangladesh is one of the worlds poorest countries and that its
labourers earn some of the lowest wages. It has also a great threat and that is workers
health. We have also discussed lots of about the negativity of tannery industry. But
now we have to think about the economical situation of tannery industry. It is earning
lots of money. Estimated more than $600 million in exports each year producing
leather of clothes, shoes, handbags, belts, jackets and luggage. This is around 2% of
our total economy. We have a huge market in USA, UK, Canada, Australia, Germany,
Spain, France and Japan. Worlds most popular brands such as Louis Vuitton, Gucci,
Prada, Cartier, Burberry, Coach are manufacturing leather products in Bangladesh
because of our low production cost than any other country.
This business is giving us money and employment. More than 50000 people got their
job in this sector. So this is necessary to build up strong root for tannery industry. But
of course we have to make a good way which will not harm our environment.

Action plan by government:

There is an action plan focused and oriented towards leather goods and leather foot
ware which have greater potentially and achieve a very high growth rate by the
government of Bangladesh. To fulfil this plan The European Union and PKF are
working together for the Bangladesh government.

The project is financed by

European Union

Project beneficiary: Ministry

of Industry of Bangladesh

The project is implemented by

(PKF) Pannell Kerr Forster

Tanneries will be relocated from Hazaribag to a designated modern purpose-built site

sooner or letter. And there will be available many facilities such as related to

26

environment waste management, green power/solar heating arrangement, process upgrading matter can be materialized etc.

Specific objectives:

To help members attain competitiveness for easy access to export market and

partnering with foreign investors.

Ensure involvement of the association in environmental audit.
Lobbying for a business friendly environment and a virtual leather policy.
To expand the membership of the association.
Training on environmental and waste management issues.
Network linkages building events with EU based association, institute.
All kind of modern and eco friendly machineries will be available.

The leather products sector routinely received technical assistance on skill

development, market linkages, process up grading, value chain study and production
manual and others expected things.

Savar Tannery Industry under construction:

The Proposed CETP (Central Effluent Treatment Plant) at the tannery Industry Estate, Savar, Dhaka.

Considering the environmental hazards in Hazaribagh, this (CEPT) project was taken
by the government in 2003. The land is 199 acres and totally given by the
27

government. Around 500 tanneries can be shift in this estate. The owners of some 145
leather tanneries have started setting up infrastructure in the Savar, raising the hope of
commencing the operations of the long-cherished tannery estate within the stipulated
time frame of March, 2015. Of the 150 units, around 50 industrial units have made
significant progress in setting up new infrastructure in the new tannery zone.
EU and American buyers have been declining to purchase Bangladeshi leather goods
as the manufacturing factories at the existing site fail to ensure environmental
compliances. So government took the action against this situation and making this
eco-friendly CETP at Savar. The main aim of shifting the tannery industries from
Hazaribagh to Savar is to minimize the environmental pollution in the city.

Conclusion
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After studying and analyzing the tannery industry of Bangladesh we can say this is
not bad for us but we dont want to say this is good for us until the solution of
environmental issues. This report provides an analysis and evaluation of the current
and prospective profit from tannery industries and also the negative impact from
tanneries industries. WE looked at the ins and outs of the operation of tannery
industry in Bangladesh.
Our study focused on the reason behind good and bad. We have compared these two
things related on this report. We are doing this business from 1940 and this business
gives us huge foreign currency and employment but this industry also pollute our
environment horribly. For this pollution we cant shut down this business because of
around 50000 people have got job in this sector.
Thinking about that our government didnt shut down this business. They realize the
economical part of this business. So they have taken a project in Savar called Central
Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP). This is totally eco-friendly and will be available
modern machineries. This is under construction but already 145 companies have
shifted their factories.
So this is a good news for tannery sectors. We hope they can produce world class
leather products to maintain environment and do fight with their competitors.

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