SYLHET, Sept 03: Due to shortage of processing and preservation facilities, the small and mid-level rawhide traders and businesses in the Sylhet region suffer much every year.
This is why often they have to incur huge loss. The trouble becomes more acute during the Eid Ul Azha, almost every year. The situation was worst this time, sources alleged.
On the other hand, taking advantage of the situation, the businesses in Dhaka exploit them in different ways, a number of traders here alleged.
They set the prices as their will and collect the salted rawhides on credit. Besides, we don't get the prices regulaly, a number of traders alleged, most of the 250,000 hides, collected last year were sent to the capital from Sylhet-Sunamganj region.
"We have to accept the conditions of the big shots in Dhaka", said the traders, adding, "They set price and make delayed payment although we have to procure these on cash payment from the poor suppliers in the rural and urban areas in the region."
Still an amount of over Tk 10 million in arrear of the last year's Eid season remained unpaid, they alleged, financing the small traders would be a major problem now.
General Secretary of the Shahjalal Chamra Baybosayi Samity Shahin Mia said traders here had been in a trouble due to the late and deferred payment of the supplied rawhide prices.
On the other hand, smuggling should be resisted at any cost, he said.
Sylhet has a close border with Meghalaya, Assam and Tripura states.
The law enforcement officials however, said through setting sufficient check posts on different important points on the Dhaka-Sylhet Highway for resisting the smuggling of the item.
Besides, the rawhide traders were asked not to transport untreated raw hides to avoid smuggling.
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