Turn Dhaka into market of leather goods: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina opened a 3-day Dhaka International Leather Fair '99 at a city hotel yesterday hoping that it would be a milestone in the progress of leather industry, reports UNB.

"Let us see Dhaka as an attractive market for leather goods," she told the inaugural function at Sonargaon Hotel in the morning.

The fair first of its kind in the country, has been jointly organised by Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) and Bangladesh Finished Leather and Leather Goods Exporters Association (BFLLEA).

In all, 73 stalls - 14 from overseas - have been opened in the fair displaying a wide array of leather fashions to attract foreign buyers.

Finance Minister Shah A M S Kibria was the special guest at the inaugural function, which was also addressed by Commerce Secretary Syed Alamgir Farrouk Chowdhury, FBCCI President Abdul Awal Mintoo and BFLLEA President Abdus Sattar Bhuiyan.

In her inaugural address, the Prime Minister stressed the need for boosting exports through rapid industrialisation to achieve overall economic progress of the country.

"With this end, we've framed a liberal trade policy to create an atmosphere for both local and foreign investment," she said, attaching the government's priority to create a more favourable climate to boost industry and exports.

To ensure increased participation of private sector, the government has offered incentives packages as well as infrastructural and institutional supports for export-oriented industries, Hasina said.

She requested the Finance Minister, who was also on the dais, to give incentives to the tannery industry.

She told the function that work has been started to build a "waste water treatment plant" in Hazaribag tannery area to create a pollution-free environment in the city.

Finance Minister Shah A M S Kibria said the government has given special priority to tannery sector. He stressed the need for strong leadership and emergence of more new and educated entrepreneurs in the sector.

Development of this sector depends on its modernisation and more good and educated entrepreneurs should come up," he said, assuring government's financial and other supports for any genuine enterprise in the sector.

FBCCI president Abdul Awal Mintoo said leather sector has all the potentials to emerge as one of the largest export earning sectors of Bangladesh having dynamic comparative advantages.

BFLLEA president M A Sattar Bhuiyan said the leather sector can earn about Tk 5000 crore a year from export if a proper and realistic policy is taken and implemented.