The Dhaka Times Desk We do well to sacrifice skins for the poor. It may be given to a poor person or an orphanage or madrasa. But the syndicate is made with that skin! It has been reported that a class of self-interested businessmen have started such nefarious endeavors.
It is known that capital-based syndicate traders have become active in buying animal skins at a low price during Eid al-Adha due to global recession. Like last year, no price has been fixed in advance for leather. However, it has been alleged that the syndicate traders of the capital advised the local traders to buy leather at a fixed price during Eid al-Adha 2008. As a result, due to the low price, there is a fear of smuggling a large amount of Qorbani skin into India.
Local traders said that they have to buy leather at the market every year. Otherwise, seasonal traders buy skins and smuggle them across the border into India. It is known that before Eid, a class of Marwaris came from across the border and invested to buy leather. The leather merchants of the country brought the leather to Dhaka and handed it over to them. These Marwaris collect leather and smuggle it to India through various border routes. It is known that almost all the skins of border areas including Rangpur, Kurigram, Joypurhat are smuggled into India.
Tannery owners said that the country's leather industry collapsed in 2008 due to the global recession, the situation is almost the same this time. Tannery owners then had no stock of hides;
But this time before the sacrifice, 500 to 600 crores of hides are stored. Apart from that, the price of leather in the international market has also decreased by about 30 percent in the last three months. Therefore, it will not be possible for them to buy animal skins beyond the fixed rate in 2008.
Comparative images and possible prices
When asked, tannery owners in Dhaka advised them to follow the 2008 fixed price of leather. Retail traders said about the possible price of leather, this time the price of improved cow leather will be Tk 45 to Tk 50 per square foot in Dhaka and Tk 40 to Tk 45 for outside Dhaka. On the other hand, goat skin can be priced at Rs 18 to 22 per square foot and goat leather at Rs 20 to 27 per square foot. Similarly, Artdars in Dhaka will buy cowhide at 60 to 70 taka per square foot and goat and goat hide at 30 to 40 taka. But even a month ago good cow leather was sold at local level for 100 to 105 taka per square feet. The price of the same leather was 10 percent more in Dhaka. This time the target of saving 80 lakh animal skins has been set.
Owner's statement
Bangladesh Processed Leather, Leather Products and Footwear Exporters Association BFLLFEA president Belal Ahmed told reporters that if there was demand and price in the international market, then the tannery owners would be happy if they bought leather at a higher price. But in the current condition of the market, it is not possible to buy the leather at a higher price than the price at which it was bought during Eid al-Adha in 2008. He said that due to the global recession in 2008 and later anthrax disease, the cow sacrifice on Eid that year decreased drastically. There was no such stock then. But now there is stock of leather worth 500 to 600 crore rupees. He said that the price of advanced finished leather (A2U) has decreased by 30 percent in the international market for three months. Cow hides were then bought at 2.50 to 60 cents per square foot; But now it is 1.70 to 80 cents. Apart from this, relatively low quality (Tanjh) cowhide is now being sold from 1.30 cents to only 70-90 cents. As a result leather has to be bought in accordance with the international market.
Former President of Bangladesh Tannery Owners Association (BTA) Shaheen Ahmed told reporters, 'The market situation is very bad. In Qorbani, my company has orders of 10 lakh square feet of leather every year. Now the order has come for five lakh square feet. It is reduced by half.' Referring to the suggestion of locals to buy leather at the fixed price of 2008, he said, 'This time we have not fixed any price for buying leather. However, according to the market conditions, the price of leather in the 2008 Qurbani Eid should be lower than that. If not, there will be unrest in the leather market, and even the possibility of smuggling cannot be ruled out.'
It can be understood by listening to the tone of the traders, what will be the situation of leather this time. However, one thing everyone needs to be aware of is that the money they buy will go to the poor. And so everyone needs to see to it that the poor get a fair price.
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