<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><b>The Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD) has suggested setting the minimum wage for tannery industry workers at Tk 22,776, a figure calculated based on the current food prices and inflation rates.</b></span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This recommendation was part of a media briefing titled "Challenges of Determining and Implementing Minimum Wages in the Tannery Industry," held at CPD’s office in Dhanmondi, Dhaka on Saturday, May 4.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">During the briefing, the think tank also advocated for a revision of the wage grading system to ensure fair compensation across the sector.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">The research leading to these recommendations was spearheaded by Dr. Khondaker Golam Moazzem, Research Director at CPD, with Senior Researcher Tamim Ahmed presenting the keynote paper.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Key industry stakeholders, including Liaquat Ali Mollah, chairman of the Minimum Wages Board, and Md Shaheen Ahmed, President of the Tanners' Association, were present and contributed to the discussions.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">CPD's proposed wage structure takes into account a total monthly expenditure of Tk 33,445, which includes Tk 20,564 for food and Tk 12,881 for non-food expenses. The proposed wage calculation also considers the income of other family members, reflecting a comprehensive approach to wage determination in the current economic context.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Furthermore, Dr. Moazzem highlighted the need for a simplified and unified grading system within the tannery industry, noting the limited opportunities for advancement due to the sector’s diverse job roles.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As there is no scope for promotion within the current system, it is proposed to introduce subgrades within some grades (A, B, and C within Grade 5), which would create opportunities for promotion and enhance worker motivation, stated CPD.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The CPD emphasized the significance of the tannery industry as a key economic sector in Bangladesh, following the garment industry in importance.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">According to the Tanners' Association, the industry comprises approximately 200 active tanneries spread across 127 plots in the Savar area, contributing a substantial US $1.2 billion in leather product exports in 2023. According to UNB reports</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">bnbd/fsa</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div>