Worldwide demand will create for BD’s leather industry: SK Bashir

Business Report :

Commerce Advisor Sheikh Bashiruddin has said the interim government has taken such steps that will help create demands for Bangladesh’s leather industry worldwide.
Commerce Adviser said also that rawhide from this year’s Eid-ul-Azha sacrificial animals was sold at the highest price in the past ten years.
He expressed optimism that prices will increase further next year, urging all stakeholders to work together. “To expand our economy, we must focus on trade development,” he stated.
He made these remarks on Tuesday afternoon while visiting a leather warehouse in Chakbaidyanath area of Natore.
He said no government in the history of Bangladesh has done as much as the interim government to protect the leather industry. He said this after visiting the largest leather market in the southwestern region in Jessore on Monday.
The Commerce Adviseralso commented that the leather industry has deteriorated in the last 15 years, and anarchic syndicates have developed, and it is not possible to break them up so quickly.
He said, “We are working to protect the interests of orphanages and madrasas in the leather industry first and foremost. We are working for the interests of the country’s leather industry, the future of the country’s leather industry.”
“I am personally traveling all over the country to dismantle the anarchy syndicate that has been in the leather industry for the last 15 years. I am monitoring everything, and the control team is also working.”
Sheikh Bashiruddin said, “Seven and a half lakh maunds of salt have been distributed to correct and increase the price of leather. The government has played a supportive role in increasing the price of leather by providing salt. There are many madrasas that have provided leather without salt.”
The government does not fix the price of leather without salt. Many seasonal traders have wasted their leather due to lack of knowledge about it, as a result of which they did not get the desired price. The government has released Tk 2.2 billion in incentives for tannery owners to increase their capacity before Eid.
The Commerce Adviser said, “We have expanded market management. The steps we have taken will create demand for the leather industry in the outside world. The government is still being blamed for the leather anarchy.”
We want to say that no government in the history of Bangladesh has done as much work as the government has done to protect the leather industry. With everyone’s cooperation, we will be able to reach our goal.
Different officials including Deputy Commissioner Azahar Islam, Superintendent of Police Rawnak Jahan were present. After visiting the leather market, the Commerce Adviservisited the USDA-funded vegetable cold storage facility set up in Barinagar, Jessore Sadar.
Meanwhile, the Commerce Adviser on Tuesday put emphasis on properly preserving the rawhides of sacrificial animals with salt to avert the rawhides from being rotten.
The Commerce Adviser said this while replying to questions of reporters at Shyamnagar upazila in Satkhira.
He said that if the seasonal traders fail to properly preserve the rawhides of sacrificial animals with salt, then those would get rotten and thus would not be able to avail fair prices of those.
He also alleged that a vested quarter along with some unholy businessmen is spreading false propaganda about the rawhides of sacrificial animals through various social media and thus trying to make a downfall in the rawhides price during this Holy Eid -ul Azha.
Highlighting various steps of the interim government centring the Holy Eid -ul- Azha, Bashir said that the government has provided salt free of cost ahead of the Eid to properly preserve the rawhides, imparted training to some 86,000 butchers (Kosai), and disbursed some TK 220 crore as incentives to the leather sector.
He mentioned that the seasonal traders would get fair price of rawhides if they preserve those following the proper method.
Earlier, the Commerce Adviser addressed a gathering of teachers, students and guardians of Ashalata Secondary School marking its 70th founding anniversary as the chief guest held at Shyamnagar upzaila in Satkhira.
Presided over by former student of the School Abu Bakar Siddique, former NBR Chairman Abdul Mazid, Secondary and Higher Education Division Senior Secretary and former school student Siddique Zobaer, Women and Children Affairs Senior Secretary Momtaz Ahmed, Khulna Divisional Commissioner Firoz Ahmed, Deputy Inspector of General of police , Khulna Range, Rezaul Haque, Jashore Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board Chairman Dr Asma Begum, Satkhira Deputy Commissioner Mostaq Ahmed, Superintendent of Police, Monirul Islam and Head Teacher Md Shamim Hossain spoke, among others, at the function.