Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury said that to save the leather industry, environment-friendly investment should be increased. There will be no relaxation in quality standards in the leather industry. If the leather industry is not environmentally friendly, the export revenue target will not be met. He also called for the setting up of Central Effluent Treatment Plant or CETP to make the leather industry profitable.
The Minister of Environment said these things while addressing the Chief Guest at the High-Level National Dialogue titled “National High-Level Dialogue for Greening the Tannery and Leather Sector” held on Thursday 16 May 2024 at the Bangabandhu International Conference Center.
The Environment Minister said, if the river dies, this damage cannot be compensated by anything. Water should have BOD in the range of 30, Dhaleswari water has four times more. Heavy metals more than 2 times. It has the potential to cause cancer in humans. Who will take responsibility for these losses? We can’t play the blame game. Solve the problem, not be part of it. The journey must be made anew. Learn from mistakes. Bangladesh wants to be a role model in many fields, leather industry as well. Making the economy eco-friendly is our priority. Government will provide necessary assistance.
Charles Whiteley, Ambassador, Delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh; Zakia Sultana, Senior Secretary, Ministry of Industries; Prof. Dr. Mohammed Mizanur Rahman Director, Institute of Leather Engineering and Technology (ILET), University of Dhaka; Sanjay Kumar Bhowmik, Chairman, BSCIC; Fahmida Khanam, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; Dr. Ainun Nishat, Professor Emeritus, former Vice Chancellor, BRAC University and member of Joint River Commission; Dr. Michal Krejza, Minster Counsellor and Head of Development Cooperation, Delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh also spoke in the occasion.
Various stakeholders of the tannery and leather sector, environmentalists and government representatives participated in this dialogue and put forward various proposals and recommendations to make the sector more environmentally friendly.