Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed on Tuesday advised the country's tanners to fix by Friday next the prices for procurement of rawhide and skin of sacrificial animals during the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha.
At the same time, he requested the tanners to inform all concerned about the rates fixed by them.
The minister was holding a meeting with the Bangladesh Tanners Association (BTA), the Bangladesh Hides and Skin Merchants Association and the Bangladesh Finished Leather, Leather Goods and Footwear Exporters Association at his ministry.
Mr Tofail said procurement prices of rawhide and skin of sacrificial animals have to be reasonable.
Tanners will have to ensure that the people get genuine prices for rawhide and skin as the government was not willing to fix the prices, he said.
"You (tanners) will have to announce prices of the rawhide and skin of sacrificial animals through a press conference. This will have to be transmitted to the field-level people and buyers by Short Message Service (SMS)," the minister said.
He also advised all to remain alert for the next 30 days after Eid-ul-Azha so that raw hide could not be smuggled out of the country.
In the meantime, the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has been alerted by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Shahin Ahmed, president of the BTA said in the meeting, "We were not willing to fix the prices of rawhide and skin of sacrificial animals this year. We want to leave the prices to be determined in the light of international market situation."
But the Commerce Minister has directed the tanners to fix the prices by Friday next, he said.
An estimated 6.5 million of cows, goats and other sacrificial animals were sacrificed in the last Eid-ul-Azha, according to the Livestock Department.
The per square foot price of rawhide was fixed at Tk 85-90 in Dhaka and at Tk 75-80 in other areas of the country last year, sources said.
Besides, the price of per square foot hide of bullock was fixed at Tk 50-55, buffalo Tk 40-45 and goat skin Tk 40-45 across the country, they said.
A total of 194 tannery businesses collect raw hide and skin. There are about 226 large and 1,600 medium and small warehouses across the country, sources concerned said.
Hedayetullah Al Mamoon, senior secretary of the MoC, other high officials of the ministry and tannery leaders were also present at the meeting.
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