ASK Trade and Exhibitions is organising the three-day show with the support of the LFMEAB

The 11th edition of Leathertech Bangladesh 2025, the country's international technology trade show for leather, footwear machinery, shoe materials, chemicals, and accessories, kicked off in the capital today.

The event was inaugurated at the Expo Village, located within the International Convention City Bashundhara in the capital.

Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun, executive chairman of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority, inaugurated the fair and said Bangladesh's leather industry now stands on the threshold of realising its full potential.

An exhibition like Leathertech is not merely a showcase; it is a remarkable initiative to propel the sector toward that ultimate potential.

Such events signal that the leather industry is ready to enter a new chapter, he said.

"I firmly believe that with coordinated efforts between the public and private sectors, Bangladesh's leather industry will advance much further," he added.

Syed Nasim Manzur, president of the Leather Goods and Footwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (LFMEAB), said the leather industry of Bangladesh is now at a crossroads to accelerate export-oriented manufacturing.

"To move to the next level, policy liberalisation is essential. If we can strengthen the right connections between our country and neighbouring economies, technological development within the leather sector will progress even faster," he said.

The 11th edition features a pavilion from the Council for Leather Exports India, Pakistan Tanners Association, India Footwear Components Manufacturers Association, and Confederation of Indian Footwear Industries, along with a pavilion from the Guangdong Shoe-Making Machinery Association of China, according to a press release.

Nearly 200 exhibitors from 8 countries, including Bangladesh, are participating in the largest technology trade show for the leather sector in the country, said Tipu Sultan Bhuiyan, managing director of ASK Trade and Exhibitions Pvt Ltd, which is organising the show with the support of the LFMEAB.

Leathertech Bangladesh began its journey 11 years ago as a technology platform created to bring manufacturing technologies for footwear, travel goods, and allied products from across the world closer to the doorsteps of end users.

The leather and footwear industry is Bangladesh's second-largest export sector after ready-made garments, contributing to approximately 3 percent of the global leather goods market and meeting nearly 10 percent of global leather demand.

Bangladesh's leather and footwear exports continued their recovery in October of 2025-26 fiscal year, posting a 9.7 percent year-on-year growth, reaching $591.5 million compared to $539.4 million last year, according to data from the Export Promotion Bureau.

Trade show timings are between 11 am to 7 pm on all days of the show, and entry is free for business visitors.