Local tanners are set to begin procuring salted rawhide of sacrificial animals from today (Thursday).
The Bangladesh Tanners Association (BTA) on Wednesday said the tanneries in Savar have bought at estimated 0.55-million pieces of rawhide in the first three days of Eid-ul-Azha this year.
The BTA leaders made the disclosures at a press conference held at Dhanmondi Club Limited.
Addressing the media, BTA chairman Md Shaheen Ahamed says, "We'll start procuring salted rawhide on Thursday or Friday."
Tanners' representatives will collect the skins from different rawhide bazaars across the country, including Shambhuganj in Mymensingh and Pakutia in Tangail.
Mr Ahamed says timely measures taken by the government this year have facilitated the rawhide trade this year.
"We're hopeful of collecting 9.0-9.5 million pieces of rawhide this year," he cites, adding that there is information about 0.5-0.6 million rotting goatskin.
The BTA estimates that 9.95-million animals have been sacrificed on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha this year.
This year, the government has fixed the per-square-feet salted cow skin at Tk 52 in Dhaka, which is higher by Tk 7 than last year's.
The price is Tk 40-44 in other regions of the country.
At the media briefing, Mr Ahamed urged the government to settle some issues in the sector to harness its full potential.
"The land allocation guideline for Savar tannery estate needs to be updated to help expand the business, thereby creating a positive impact on export," he says.
The BTA chair also calls for banks' interest exemption on loans taken during the years 2017, 2018 and 2019.
Even tannery owners cannot use spaces at Hazaribagh as it has been declared a red zone by the government, he cites.
The trade body calls for the rectification of faults with the establishment of a common effluent treatment plant of a chronic recovery unit in the tannery estate.
It also suggests sustaining and expanding the supervised bond facilities for the import of chemicals to tan leathers.
