The New Nation - Internet Edition

Our Correspondent, Barisal

Leaders of the hide and skin merchants association of Barisal claimed that raw hide worth Taka one crore has been smuggled from different hide collection points.

Mahmud Alam and Shainur Rahman Shain, president and secretary of the association claimed that at least 5000 pieces of raw hide worth Taka one crore has been smuggled from this region to India on and after Eid-ul-Azha day.

They said that hide smugglers from different border district of south and western regions according to pre-plan came Barisal and collected raw hide from persons or families who sacrificed animals by offering higher price than other collectors in disguise of hide traders or agent.

The association sources said this year members of the association collected about 20 thousand pieces of cowhide and 10 thousand pieces of goat hide worth Taka 3 crores.

In last year they collected 25 thousand pieces of cowhide and 13 thousand pieces of goat hide worth Taka 5 crore, they informed.

On other hand they expressing their frustration about probable profit in business as collection of hide was about 20% less, said the region was severely Sidr affected and political leaders and many rich peoples abstained from visiting their native areas and sacrificing animals.

However while the number of sacrificing animal were less, then the collection price was 30% higher in Barisal region than previous year.

Association sources said the tannery owners of Dhaka offered only Tk.70-80 for per square feet of cow hide and Tk. 40-45 for per square feet of goat hide, whether they collected it from local people and hide collection agents as Tk.100-120 and Tk.50-60 respectively.

Besides cost of preservation and primary processing of hide also increased except the price of per sack of 70 Kg. salts decreased to Tk.440 from Tk.550 than last year.

The cost of per labour for per night increased 40% from Tk.500 to Tk.700 and costing of transportation to Dhaka also increased as rent of hide carrying per truck increased to Tk.8000 per trip from Tk.5500 than previous year.

The leaders of the Barisal Hide and Skin Merchants Association also said that the hide market depends on the tannery owners of Dhaka and banks provide soft loans to traders of Dhaka for purchasing hide which facilitates them to collect hide and skin in competitive price.

Traders of hide and skin in Barisal do not receive any bank loan facilitated to compete in market and ff the traders of Dhaka do not increase the price, the merchants of Sidr affected southern region including Barisal will sustain heavy loss in business, the frustrated Barisal merchants said.