The government has formed a central joint coordination committee to oversee the overall activities of rawhide and skins of sacrificial animals including preservation and transportation during Eid-ul-Azha, officials said.
Commerce secretary Tapan Kanti Ghosh is the chief coordinator of the 17-member committee.
The committee will monitor and coordinate preservation and stock situation and deal with transaction issues of the overall rawhide and skins of sacrificial animals during the second largest religious festival of the Muslims.
It will also take necessary steps to facilitate transportation of such hides across the country.
"If any kind of abnormal situation arises over rawhide and skins of sacrificial animals, the committee will take necessary steps in this regard," a senior commerce ministry official said.
When contacted, a high official of the commerce ministry said, "We've recently requested the authorities concerned including home ministry to take required measures to this effect."
Representatives from Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Registrar of Joint Stock Companies (RJSC), state intelligence agencies, Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission, and different leather associations have been included in the committee, officials added.
The commerce ministry has also set up a control cell at the ministry to help ensure smooth supply of rawhide and skins of slaughtered sacrificial animals during the festival.
The commerce ministry on Monday issued office orders separately in this regard.
Another high official of the commerce ministry said, "We'll take steps to ensure fair prices of rawhide of sacrificial animals during Eid-ul-Azha."
More than 50 per cent of rawhide and skins are collected during Eid-ul-Azha.
The supply of rawhide and skins in the country is around 20 million units, according to the BTTC data.
During last Eid-ul-Azha, thousands of pieces of rawhide remained unsold. Having failed to get expected prices, hundreds of people buried their cow, goat and buffalo rawhide. Others sold them at dumped rates.
Currently, there are 412 million animals in the country. This year 11.9 million sacrificial animals are ready for slaughtering, according to the fisheries and livestock ministry.
Meanwhile another report adds: The existing default loans belonging to rawhide traders could be rescheduled for a maximum period of three years by paying 3.0 per cent down payment on the outstanding.
After depositing the down payment, the traders will be able to take fresh loans for purchasing of rawhide and skin during the upcoming Eid-ul Azha.
However, the disbursement ratio of loans will be the same as 2020.
But, Bangladesh Bank (BB) circular issued on Tuesday said the traders must meet inventory requirements mentioned in the circular.
The BB circular also said that the banks will not realise any "compromised amount" for disbursing the loans for purchasing raw hides this year.
This facility will remain valid upto August 31.
