Comilla University Students Launch Modex Leather and Footwear Initiative
Three marketing students at Comilla University have established Modex Leather and Footwear following a classroom assignment. The brand aims to provide affordable, quality leather goods to campus students.
Three students from the marketing department at Comilla University in Bangladesh have officially established a new enterprise named 'Modex Leather and Footwear.' This entrepreneurial venture originated directly from an academic requirement, specifically emerging as a 'New Product Development' assignment tied to their Principles of Marketing course at the university.
According to Md. Parvez Sarker, one of the student founders alongside Md. Yamin Ahmed and Md. Ashraful Islam, the journey of Modex Leather and Footwear did not begin with a traditional commercial business plan. Instead, the process started as a university assignment that subsequently sparked a deeper curiosity and interest in understanding the broader landscape of the domestic leather industry in Bangladesh.
Elaborating on the motivation behind the brand, Md. Parvez Sarker explained that the founders observed the actual, everyday needs of students living on the university campus. They noted that quality leather shoes are not easily accessible locally, while products from established, well-known brands frequently exceed the financial limits of a typical student's budget, prompting the creation of an accessible alternative.
Addressing these specific campus challenges, the founders conceived an initiative designed to ensure that students can access quality leather products within a student-friendly budget. Sarker emphasized that the team's objective extends beyond simple retail sales, noting a desire to closely understand Bangladesh's leather sector and potentially expand the enterprise on a larger scale in the future while recognizing that grand dreams often begin in modest spaces.
This grassroots commercial initiative unfolds against the backdrop of significant national export figures within the sector. According to official data provided by the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) for the 2023-24 fiscal year, Bangladesh generated approximately 960.85 million US dollars in export earnings specifically from the footwear category.
In addition to footwear earnings, official EPB statistics for the 2023-24 fiscal year highlight that Bangladesh accumulated approximately 499.13 million US dollars in export earnings derived from other leather and leather-related products, underscoring the broader economic importance of the industry that these Comilla University marketing students are now exploring through their academic and practical undertaking.
