Bangladesh’s plan to turn its leather and footwear industry into a $5 billion export sector by 2030 could remain out of reach unless long-standing environmental and compliance problems at the Savar tannery estate are fixed, industry leaders said yesterday.

The global leather industry is changing rapidly. Environmental sustainability, resource efficiency, traceability and responsible production have become essential for competing in international markets.

Bangladesh is yet to reap the full benefit from the much-talked central effluent treatment plant (CETP) at the Savar Tannery Industrial Estate (STIE) despite spending more than Tk 500 crore and waiting for nearly a decade.