5.5 lakh rawhides bought at Savar Leather Industrial City between 10-12 July: BTA 

Around 5.5 lakh pieces of rawhide were collected by the tanners in Savar Leather Industrial City between 10-12 July this Eid-ul-Azha, said Bangladesh Tanners Association (BTA).

BTA Chairman Md Shaheen Ahamed Chairman revealed the information during a press briefing held in Dhaka's Dhanmondi on Wednesday. 

Addressing the attendees, he said, "As you all know, the leather industry is a major source of foreign exchange for the country. It also plays a key role in the country's growth and employment generation.

"More than 50% of the raw material for this industry is collected during every Eid-ul-Azha. This year tannery owners collected about 550,000 pieces of rawhides from 10-12 July."

"The proper processing of the collected rawhides is a big challenge for us," he added.

He informed that the leather industry made foreign earnings of $1245.18 million till June, 2022. 

He said, "About 99.50 lakh animals have been sacrificed during this year's Eid-ul-Azha. Around 95 lakh pieces of salted rawhide have been collected across the country.

"The commerce ministry increased the prices of sacrificial cow rawhide by Tk7 and goat skin by Tk3 per square foot compared to last year."

"The price of salted cow rawhide was fixed at Tk47-52 per sq ft in Dhaka and Tk40-44 outside of the capital. Besides, the prices of male goat and female goat hide were set at Tk18-20/sq ft and Tk12-14/sq ft for female goat hide across the country.

"Tannery owners will start procuring salted rawhides in four to five days at rates fixed by the government," the BTA chairman added. 

Central effluent treatment plants (CETP) at the Savar tannery village, and the lack of scientific solid waste management, are some of the major reasons hindering tanneries from getting global compliance certifications like those from the Leather Working Group (LWG), he emphasised.

The BTA urged the government to provide assistance in this regard.