Authorities reported that over 460,000 rawhides have been brought into the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BCIC) in Savar over two days around Eid-ul-Azha.
The arrival of sacrificial animal skins began Monday afternoon at the leather industry in Harindhara, Hemayetpur.
By Tuesday afternoon, around 460,000 skins had entered the Savar leather industry and 150,000 skins at Posta.
BCIC Chairman Sanjay Kumar Bhowmik confirmed the information to the Dhaka Tribune.
Leather trucks were seen entering the industrial city on Tuesday afternoon, and tanneries were bustling with activity. Workers were busy salting the raw skins, arranging them layer by layer.
Sajedul Haque, a tannery worker, said: “Since yesterday (Monday), as soon as the skins arrive, I have been cleaning them and applying salt.”
Tannery owners mentioned that various madrasas and seasonal traders began bringing in leather from Monday afternoon.
Md Shahidullah, owner of Ajmer Leather in Savar's leather industry city, said: "Raw leather without salt is coming in. They are preserved with salt, which allows them to be kept for at least two and a half months. We are buying leather directly from madrasas. The government-fixed price is Tk1,200 for salted leather. It costs Tk200-250 to add salt, so raw leather is being bought after deducting this cost.”
Md Sakhawat Ullah, general secretary of Bangladesh Tanners Association and managing director of Salma Tannery, said: "Most of the leather collection targets for Eid day and today (Tuesday) have been met. Leather is being procured at the government-fixed price. I hope the target will be fulfilled.”
Regarding the preparation of the leather industry city, Savar's BSCIC leather industry city executive engineer, Md Mahfuzur Rahman Rizoan, mentioned: “So far, about 450,000 hides have entered the tannery. More skins are expected to arrive.”
BCIC Chairman Sanjay Kumar Bhowmik added: “460,000 pieces of leather have entered our Savar tannery. This time, a record amount of salt has been produced across the country. We have ensured an adequate supply of salt through dealers in every district, and the price of salt has been reduced by Tk2 per kg compared to last year. We have not received any reports of salt shortages anywhere in the country. The price of leather is set by the Ministry of Commerce, and we have not received news of any major incidents.”
Zakia Sultana, senior secretary of the Ministry of Industries, confirmed that the central effluent treatment plant (CETP) of the leather industry city is fully prepared and operational.
She shared this information with journalists during a visit to BCIC Leather Industry City in Hemayetpur, Savar, Dhaka, on Tuesday.
“The CETP of BCIC leather industry city is fully prepared and operational this time. All its modules have been overhauled, tested, and repaired. The liquid waste is treated with necessary chemicals, and the biological treatment system is in operation. No tannery waste reaches the CETP without primary treatment,” she said.