Kishoreganj leather market unstable
Like every year, this year too, the common people of Kishoreganj did not get a fair price for their animal skins during Eid-ul Azha.
Although the government has fixed a price, in reality, that price has not been implemented any where.
There are allegation that Seasonal, and small -scale traders have consistently accused a market syndicate of manipulation.
Sacrificial lather market has become virtually hostage to the country of the Aratadar syndicate, as a result of which the sacrificial animals are deprived of a fair price.
The government had set the price of salted cow hides at Tk.57 to 62 per square foot outside of Dhaka City.
Accordingly the price of a medium -sized cow hide (about 25 square feet)stood at least Tk.1425, Bur in reality, not a single hide was sold for more than tk.300 at various warehouses.
Seasonal traders do not go door to door to buy animal skins on the day of Eid al-Azha like before. They are forced to donate to madrasas without paying anything.
This deprives poor people of the money they earn from skins. Again, these traders are making more profit by buying skins from various madrasas at a low price.
When The New Nation, Senior Reporter went to the Al Jamiatul Imdadia Madrasa, Kishoreganj on Friday afternoon, caretakers Asad Miah and Idris Ali said that 1,300 skins had been deposited in the madrasa.
A businessman from Boulai area had taken them. He would put them in salt and keep them.
He would sell them to tannery owners in Dhaka and pay the madrasa the money, subject to negotiation.
Principal Moulona Md. Hafzur Rahman of Shamsuddin Bhuiyan Madrasa said that , a few years ago, he sold a skin for tk. 1,500 . Now, it can’t even be sold for 300 taka.
He regretfully said that leather shoes that were sold for 1,000 taka at that time are now being sold for 3,000 taka.
However, leather that was 1,500 taka at that time cannot be sold even for 300 taka now.
Even though the government has increased the price, traders do not want to buy leather even at a quarter of the price.
A visit to the largest leather market at Moragmohal in the town showed that local traders had bought leather at low prices and piled it up, smearing it with salt.
A man named Shamsuddin from the suburban Bogadiya area has brought a cow skin worth tk. One lakh 80 thousand for sale.
A businessman named Nayan Rabidas from the Chauddashat area of Sadar Upazila is saying the price is only two and a half taka. Shamsuddin said that he had skinned the cow after slaughtering it.
When he asked the owner for it, he gave it to him for free. Now that he has come to sell it, the price is only two and a half taka.
He angrily said that he would take the skin back by renting a rickshaw, but he would not sell it for two and a half taka.
Leather trader Nayan Ravidas said that traders in Dhaka do not pay good prices for leather, which is why it is not possible for them to buy it at a higher price.
Ferdous Miah, a resident of Batrish (Bara Bazar) said that he too, unable to sell cowhide worth Tk 155,000, donated it to the Shsuddin Bhuiyan Madrasa.”
