Rawhide, skins being smuggled out despite strict vigilance

Business people, leather sector insiders are concerned over smuggling out of rawhides and skin to the neighboring India through various border areas.
Industry insiders said a significant portion of rawhides are being smuggled to India almost every day deceiving the security surveillance and sometimes managing the law enforcers. As a result the country has been counting substantial loss in earning foreign currencies.
But law enforcers denied the allegation, saying that they have been on high alert to check smuggling of rawhides of sacrificial animals.
"We are very much alert in border areas to check smuggling of rawhides from the country to the neighboring country". Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Director General Maj Gen Aziz Ahmed told the FE.
According to BGB DG, the Businessmen are not providing the real information to the media as the BGB security is very strong in border areas which sometimes also hamper their business interests, obviously illegal.
He said rawhide smuggling is impossible as the BGB has imposed a restriction in all border areas on movement of goods-carrying vehicles on Eid day evening which will continue so long necessary.
Local sources, however, said that despite the vigilance smuggling of hides and skin are going on and seasonal traders have been playing a vital role in this regard.
According to them, every year, the Indian traders appoint hundreds of seasonal traders in border areas and give them large sum of money in advance to collect rawhides before the Eid from the border areas.
"We have been observing everyday a large volume of rawhide is being smuggled to neighboring India", said Shabzan Islam, a rawhide trader from Lalmonirhat.
He said, "We found most of the traders busy during the day time in purchasing rawhides and returned home empty-handed.
Khairul Islam, a rawhide trader at Chapai Nawabganj said the Indian traders have been offering more price as a result the local seasonal traders have purchased rawhides of sacrificial animals from different places along border and sending those to India.
He said compared to other years rawhide smuggling has increased now as its price increased significantly in Indian market.
"I am also very much interested to sell the collected rawhides to the neighboring country as the local tanners are reluctant to pay our expected prices", another rawhide trader at Lalmonirhat said.
 "Not only during the Eid, smuggling of rawhides through various border points are going on throughout the year," said Zahid identifying about a dozen of points as the safe routes of smuggling.
Meanwhile, the intelligence agencies identified about 15 vulnerable spots suitable for smuggling and informed the Ministry of Home Affairs to take necessary measures. The spots are: Benapole in Jessore district, Burimari in Lalmonirhat, Akhaura in Chapai Nawabganj, Hili in Dinajpur district, Tetulia in Panchagarh district, Teknaf under Cox's Bazar, Comilla, Birol under Dinajpur district, Satkhira, Nalitabari under Sherpur district, Gowinghat in Sylhet, Damurhuda under Chuadanga district, Feni, Haluaghat under Mymensingh district and Bhurungamari under Kurigram district.
Despite fixing of rates, rawhides and skin of sacrificial animals are being traded at high prices in different areas of the country including the bordering area. Yet hides and skin are being smuggled out to India to meet their demand.
Earlier, Bangladesh Finished Leather, Leather Goods and Footwear Exporters Association, Bangladesh Hide and Skin Merchants Association and Bangladesh Tanners Association fixed the price of skin of the sacrificial cows before Eid-ul-Azha.
Tanners brought down the prices claiming that the demand for Bangladeshi leather has declined in the international market.
Some 10 million cattle including cows, buffaloes, goats and sheep have been sacrificed across the country during Eid-ul-Azha.

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