5 honoured with Changemaker Awards for excellence in leather industry

Five organisations and industry leaders have been honoured with the Changemaker Awards 2025 for their exceptional contributions to innovation, sustainability and leadership in Bangladesh's leather and footwear sector.

The awards were announced on Friday (5 December) at a gala ceremony held at the International Convention City Bashundhara (ICCB), where industry pioneers, policymakers, global stakeholders and young professionals gathered to celebrate excellence in the sector.

Speaking as the chief guest at the event, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, stressed the importance of compliance for industries wishing to expand globally.

"To enter international markets, every industry must ensure proper compliance. The government is ready to extend all policy support, but industry owners must also come forward," she said.

She warned that factories cannot discharge waste into rivers, saying, "Rivers belong to everyone," and urged strict enforcement of environmental laws in tannery operations. She also encouraged the award recipients to continue raising their standards.

This year's awards were presented in three core categories. MAF Shoes Limited won in the Process Efficiency category, SAF Industries Limited received the award for Sustainable Practice, and Step Shoe Last & Accessories Co Limited was recognised in the Support Services category.

In the individual categories, AKM Moshpiqur Rahman, managing director of Accenture Footwear & Leather Products Ltd, received the Emerging Changemaker Award.

The late Syed Manzur Elahi, chairman of Apex Group and a pioneering figure in Bangladesh's leather industry, received the Legacy of Excellence Award in recognition of his lifelong contribution to the sector.

In his welcome address, Syed Asaduzzaman, co-founder and CEO of Footwear Exchange, said the changemaker award was created to recognise "heroes who transform challenges into opportunities."

"If we want global recognition, we must first recognise our own achievements — and that is what brings us together tonight," he said.

Delivering the keynote speech, Jakaria Shahid, managing director of Edison Footwear Limited, highlighted persistent misconceptions about the leather industry.

"When we talk about leather, the first thing that comes to mind is tannery. But they are not the same. The most important question still remains: why hasn't the Savar tannery facility fully started operating?" he asked.

He added that global market trends and customer behaviour have changed significantly since the 1990s.

A panel discussion titled, "Localization 360: Materials, Tech, Future" was also held, moderated by Firoz Alam, head of Project at GIZ.

Panelists included Syed Mushfequr Rahman, member (vat audit) of the National Board of Revenue; Shamim Kabir, managing director of Step Shoe Last & Accessories Co Ltd; Md Nasrullah, head of International Business at Apex Footwear Ltd; Md Golam Shahnewaz, managing director of DTIEWTPCL (CETP); and Md Ariful Hoque, investment expert and former director general of Bida.

Special guests at the event included Md Sanwar Jahan Bhuiyan, secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, and Md Saiful Islam, chairman of the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC).