Apex Tannery Limited, a listed leather manufacturer, has started work on a Tk12 crore in-house effluent treatment plant (ETP), beginning with soil excavation yesterday, according to a disclosure to the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE).
The company’s board approved the project at a meeting on 13 January this year. The facility will also include a chrome recovery plant and a sewage treatment plant, covering an estimated 12,000-15,000 square feet.
The company’s shares closed at Tk93.50 on the DSE today (27 September).
The project is designed to treat effluent generated throughout the production process, from wet blue to finished leather, and help the company comply with environmental regulations and international buyers’ standards.
Apex Tannery operates its factory at the BSCIC Tannery Industrial Estate in Hemayetpur, Savar, where a central effluent treatment plant (CETP) serves tannery operators. Concerns over the CETP’s capacity and effectiveness have increased the importance of in-house treatment facilities for manufacturers in the estate.
For Bangladesh’s leather exporters, environmental compliance has become increasingly important as international buyers impose stricter environmental and sustainability requirements on suppliers.
Apex Tannery has not disclosed a completion date or when the new facilities are expected to become operational.
Annual leather sales to three related companies estimated at Tk26cr
Earlier, Apex Tannery decided to enter into contracts to sell finished leather to three companies whose boards include some of its directors.
Under the proposed agreements, the company will sell leather of various grades and qualities to FB Footwear Ltd, Footbed Footwear Ltd and Nuovo Shoes (BD) Ltd at prevailing market prices in the ordinary course of business.
The board approved the contracts at a meeting on 12 November 2025. Annual sales to FB Footwear are estimated at Tk15 crore, while sales to Footbed Footwear and Nuovo Shoes are projected at Tk10 crore and Tk1 crore, respectively, taking the combined estimate to Tk26 crore.
Apex Tannery said actual sales could be higher or lower than the estimates depending on market demand.
The transactions are considered related-party dealings because some Apex Tannery directors also sit on the boards of the three footwear companies. The company said the sales would be made at market prices as part of its regular business operations.
The disclosures did not specify actual sales made to the three companies or the duration of the proposed contracts.
Established in 1976, Apex Tannery is a fully export-oriented leather manufacturer. Its shares are listed on both the DSE and Chittagong Stock Exchange under the ticker APEXTANRY.
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