Leather Products from Bangladesh

Millions of people around the world work to produce leather garments, footwear and accessories. The leather-based garments, footwear and accessories value chain is complex, with many different actors involved – from farmers to slaughterhouses to leather tanners; from finishers to traders; from producers of leather components to producers of leather goods; and from buying agents to brands and retailers. Production units vary greatly in size and include tanneries, small leather workshops, home-based units, as well as large and small garment, footwear and leather goods factories.

South Asia is an important production hub, catering to the international market. Bangladesh has emerged as an important producer of leather footwear for the international market. This overview of trends in the production of leather and leather goods in Bangladesh collates information on the main products produced in Bangladesh, and on important export markets for its leather and leather goods. The report maps key Bangladesh-based leather manufacturers and foreign buying companies.

Understanding production trends and exports and knowing relevant actors in the industry is essential to establish links between the leather industries in Bangladesh, the export markets and all actors involved, as well as for demonstrating gaps in traceability and transparency in leather value chains generally.

This mapping lists a number of key manufacturers of leather and leather goods as well as a number of key buyers of these products. It should be noted that companies sourcing leather goods from Bangladesh do not necessarily use leather produced in Bangladesh for the production of these goods. They may use leather imported from other countries. For more information see paragraph 3. This mapping of the Bangladesh leather industry has been made as a part of the Together for Decent Leather programme, which aims to improve working conditions and to reduce labour rights abuses, focusing on production hubs for leather products in South Asia – in particular in Vellore and Chennai districts in Tamil Nadu, India; greater Karachi in Pakistan; and the greater Dhaka region in Bangladesh. The Decent Leather programme particularly focuses on tanning, manufacturing, trade and retail phases of the leather and leather goods supply chain.