Zakir Azad, Cumilla

Seasonal traders are in trouble after buying leather at high prices in Cumilla Several seasonal traders are in trouble by buying leather at high prices in Cumilla . Most of the seasonal traders could not sell the leather at the purchase price. Some spent the night from the day of Eid to the night counting the waiting hours of the buyer with the leather.

The day after Eid, the sun peeked out, but the buyer was not seen. Meanwhile, the leather dealers of Elliotganj market bought leather at half price or nominal price using this opportunity of disappointment of seasonal traders. They also face labor shortage to do that work. It is known that the seasonal traders go door to door every Qurbani Eid season and buy leather and sell the leather to middlemen traders or auctioneers.

They used to do business by taking loans and capitalizing on the hope of profiting from 1 to 150 taka per piece of leather, but this time they have fallen on their heads. That is why many seasonal traders have been seen waiting for buyers at road junctions with skins till night.

Seasonal leather trader Abul Hasem of Srimantpur village of Barkait union of Chandina upazila of the district. Every year during the Eid season, he goes door to door and buys leather. This year too, at least 70 skins are in trouble. The seasonal trader sold the leather at a loss after sitting till 12 midnight on Monday. He said, I bought each piece of leather for a minimum of 300 taka and a maximum of 550 taka. Average cost is 520 to 530 taka.

I did not get any buyers till 12 midnight, then I was forced to sell all the skins at the rate of 400 taka. There is a large leather market in Elliotganj Bazar, an area bordering Chandina and Daudkandi upazilas. Every year at least 12 artisans collect 30-40 thousand pieces of leather in that market, but many have left the profession after counting losses every year.

Now only 4 businessman ancestors are involved in that business. They are also not very interested in buying leather again. They don't want to buy leather if they don't get it at a low price. On Monday (June 17) at 10 o'clock in the night, seasonal trader Azgar Ali came to Elliotganj market with 90 pieces of leather in a pickup truck. From one place to another, he went back crying for 2 hours without being able to sell the leather.

He said that traders are not able to cross the Daudkandi toll plaza with leather. Our car is being returned to the mobile court. No one is asking more than 200 taka after bringing it to this market. It is also sold in the rest. Is it possible to pay a loss of 300 taka per skin? He shook off his anger and said, "I will throw it into the water if it is hopeless." Meanwhile, many seasonal traders have been hampered by the operation of the mobile court at Daudkandi toll plaza to prevent leather from entering Dhaka from outside districts. After returning from Daudkandi Toll Plaza, he appeared at Elliotganj Road with a pickup full of leather from midnight till the next morning.

Some of them came to those shops at a low price, and some of them left the skins for the rest. Due to the sudden arrival of 4-5 thousand skins, Araddara is facing a labor crisis. Julhas Mia, a leather trader in Elliotganj market, said that I bought leather from 300 to 600 taka. I bought leather for about 800 taka. However, there is a cost of 200 to 250 taka for salt and labor per piece of leather. And it is difficult to understand what the tannery owners say when. Removes 20-25 skins from 100 pieces of leather. That is why we have to buy leather at a low price.

Seasoned traders who bought at higher prices bought without realizing it. Even if they wait all night, they will not be able to sell at a higher price. Sohail Siraj, the lessee of Arat, said that this year, 4 Aratdars of our Arat bought only 4,200 pieces of leather. A mobile court raid at the Daudkandi toll plaza stopped leather pick-up trucks, but some took another route and went to Dhaka. And those who couldn't go left us behind. Due to which there is a sudden labor crisis.

On Thursday the Elliotganj hides were visited on the ground, but leather workers are working from Monday afternoon to Tuesday afternoon to preserve these leathers. Some are spreading small pieces of flesh from the skin, while others are separating the tail, ears, horns. Others are piling up with salt on the skin. However, most of the skins are not able to give salt in the prescribed time, so the stench has spread.

About not salting the leather at the scheduled time, Sohel Siraj, the lessee, said that the seasonal traders sat with the leather from noon to night on Monday in the hope of getting more profit. Unable to find a way, some people brought us to Aarti and skinned us early on Tuesday morning. That is why it was not possible to apply salt on those skins at the appointed time. District Animal Resources Officer Chandan Kumar Poddar said that 2 lakh 71 thousand 115 animals were sacrificed in Cumilla this Eid. However, we do not have the information about the amount of leather collection in the district. But I have heard that seasonal traders are facing losses.