Machinations, intrigue in rawhide business

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Golam Mowla
Published : 07:30, Aug 17, 2019 | Updated : 08:37, Aug 17, 2019

The price of the rawhide of a sacrificed cow this year is between Tk 300 and Tk 400. The price of the rawhide of a goat is Tk 60. Consequently, there is hardly any interest among the authorities of madrasas or orphanages to take rawhides this year.
Amidst widespread indifference towards taking rawhide of slaughtered animals, hoarders claim they could not buy hides due to scarcity of cash.
The price this year is the lowest in 31 years. There is an allegation that syndicates in operation do not pay the rates fixed by government.
Another allegation is that tanneries do not pay the price on time.
In such a situation, a large quantity of hides was dumped in the dustbins or buried.
The crisis over rawhide will also affect mosques, madrasas and orphanages since these institutions rely on the sales of animal skin to bear the expenses of students’ education.
Moulana Waliullah Arman of Jamia, Arabia Darul Ulum Madrasa, said: “The Kawmi madrasas used to rely on the sales of rawhide to meet operational expenses for three to four months.”
This year, we left the hides with the hoarders who will pay later on, he bemoaned.
Chairman of the Bangladesh Tanners’ Association (BTA) Shahin Ahmed, said, “With the expansion of the market of alternatives to leather, the demand for leather made items has shrunk; in addition, the US-China trade war has had an adverse impact.”
“We still could not use almost half the number of hides we bought last year,” he added.
Shahin Ahmed also points to compliance issues in the industry plus the effluent treatment plant in Savar could not be activated.
Though the government and Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) say that 70 percent of the treatment plant is in operation, the reality is different, observes Shahin.
“As a result, foreign buyers have reduced orders.”
President of the rawhide association, Delwar Hossain, observes: “We cannot sell hides to tannery owners at government fixed rates; despite giving promises at the meets held at the ministry of commerce, they never keep their word. In addition, tannery owners do no pay on time; a large amount of money is due from last year.”
Senior secretary of the commerce ministry, Mofizul Islam, adds: “Compared to any country in the world, the price of leather in Bangladesh is low; many of the explanations of traders is inaccurate and influenced by unscrupulous objectives.”
“We hope the crisis will pass soon, the government is talking to traders and leaders of the tanners’ association; they will buy rawhide from Aug 17 at the government fixed rates,” said the secretary.
“Letters have already been sent to DCs, UNO’s and other officials to help in the preservation of leather hides; leather is a national asset and throwing it away or burying it is not right.”
Meanwhile, the ministry of commerce has also asked the help and cooperation of traders to sell rawhide at the fixed rates.

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