SA Shofiee, Sylhet

Like other parts of the country, there has been a collapse in leather collection in Sylhet.Stay away from government fixed prices, skins of all sacrificed animals are not collected even at nominal prices. Several areas of Sylhet division were flooded due to lack of communication system, so some people were forced to throw it in the water. 

Leather is one of the top export products for earning foreign currency. Even though the price of leather products has increased several times with time, the price of leather is decreasing day by day.

 For the past few years, it has been seen that the skins of sacrificial animals are thrown into water and buried on the ground due to non-payment. This time the leather industry could not get out of that old circle. Many people are losing interest in this business which is constantly running towards losses.

This year the target of skin collection in Sylhet district was 1 lakh 20 thousand. But this time about 80,000 have been collected, according to leather trader sources.

According to related sources, more than 4 lakh animals have been sacrificed in Sylhet division this year. But Sylhet's wholesale leather traders are doubtful whether even half of the animal skins have been collected in the department. Although sources from the Directorate of Livestock and BSIC said that this year due to lack of interest in goat and sheep skins, the collection was less, but no cow and buffalo skins were wasted. However, the situation in the field is very opposite.

Since the day before Eid-ul-Azha, heavy rains and landslides coming down from India caused severe flooding in Sylhet city, Sunamganj and Moulvibazar districts. As a result, many people could not offer sacrifice on the day of Eid in many places including cities.

There have been reports of animal skins lying in the courtyards of many people's houses after the Qurbani because of the floods on the one hand and the rain on the other. As no one took the skin even for free, some people finally floated it in the water of the river. Again, thinking about the environment, some are forced to bury it in the ground after evening.

The market price and demand line of hotels in Sylhet city, district, city and neighboring upazilas is the exact opposite. Madrasahs and seasonal owners have collected their ownership in the past, and this year all madrasas have collected accordingly, and many seasonal owners have left the business. As a result, the fair value of the right on one side, the discount on the other side is guaranteed.

In the intervening year 2022, the Masadra collection was collected by the City City Corporation. Later, the market subscribes the shares in exchange for the money earned. But not collected from city corporation collection for last sanction.

It has been found out that this year Sylhet group had 3 lakh 94 thousand 251 sacrifices on Eid-ul-Azha. 50 thousand 709 animals were sacrificed in Sylhet district, 54 thousand 362 animals in Sunamganj district, 98 thousand 542 animals in Moulvibazar district and 90 thousand 638 animals were sacrificed in Habiganj district. Many people had more sheep and goats in their seats. The term fair value does not stand for price given by the government.

Retailers therefore get lower quantities to sell at lower prices. The price of medium-sized cows has been fixed at Tk 200 to Tk 300. Similarly, the nominal value of goats and sheep has been determined. Again the number of goats and sheep is given free with the ownership of some strong cows. The price of counter-counter goat has been fixed at Tk 10-20. Retail ownership of all exempt feeding animals and livestock.

Sylhet's Madara says the deepening of the energy business crisis owes to vote prices and fortunes, coalition wage promotions and tannery explanations. The only reason is that they have to charge less than the price. Although large numbers were priced before Eddy.

This year Qurbani courted the ownership agreement of the Qurbani animal with the announcement of elections on June 3. The price of patkoy cow per square foot of card yoga square is Rs 55-60, last year it was Rs 50-55. Last year it was Rs 45-48. In this partnership agreement, 2025 rupees and 18-20 rupees will be paid without the condition of the goat.

A typical Large Declared Cow contract is 31-40 square feet, a Medium Declared Cow number is 21-30 and a Small Declared Cow contract is 16-20 square feet. According to the starting price, the standard number of 25 square feet of medium declaration cow in Dhaka is 1 thousand 375 to 1 thousand 500 taka. From this one taka, minus 300 taka in exchange for wages and other costs, the actual value of the contract stands at 1 thousand 75 taka to 1 thousand 200 taka.

However, it was not sold together in Sylhet at government prices. Collected resources. Five votes of Sylhet have been counted. The price is determined as a piece by estimating the size of the animal. The owners claim that the minimum price of Tk 200 to Tk 400 has been fixed.

The wholesale owners of Sylhet said that over the years, several leaders of Sylhet have over half a million in several institutes. As a result the supporter lost the contemporary of Sylhet business. However, since the last two seasons, Tannery has been paying the dues in other ways. This is the condition that the owner is collecting ownership. But they said it was less than last year.

About 90,000 cows and buffaloes have been collected in Sylhet district in the gathering of traders. Among them, Sylhet city has higher price and village community has lower price of community ownership. Warehouses are organized according to rules and regulations. 15/20 Tannery Tannery to be brought forward in survey. However, it was not possible to collect from Sunam District, Kablit District of Sylhet, Goghat, Jakiganj, Jaintapur Companyganj Upazila Forestry Collection. The owners of Sylhet do not have the information about what the sacrificers have done.

Milon Khan of Shibganj area of the city said, I used to give the money earned by selling the skin of the sacrifice in the way of God. But day by day the price of leather is decreasing, poor people are deprived of donations. This year, I sold the cow hide bought for 1 lakh taka for only 300 taka. Besides this year most areas of Shamimabad are submerged in water and sacrifices have been made at different times. As a result, I have also received reports of many people leaving their skins on the roof of their houses for a long time and finally throwing them into the water.

He said that even 10 years ago leather was sold at 1200-1500 taka, now it is being sold at 250 taka. Traders do not want to take goat skin. They should be given free of charge.

Talking to some people who have sacrificed in Sylhet, it is known that they used to donate the skin of the sacrificed animal to the madrasa or sell it. He used to donate that money to the madrasa orphanage. As the price of leather continues to fall, many Madrasa authorities have given up leather collection. A few Madrasahs are nominally collecting hides but if the prices fall like this, they too will be forced to stop collecting hides.

Several cobblers who collect leather from Dakshin Surma upazila said that the leather market is not like before. So we don't buy leather now. Because the price of 1 kg of salt is now 50 taka. A skin takes 5 to 8 kg of salt at most. And we cannot sell raw hides without salted hides. A skin costs 2 to 300 rupees of salt. By buying skins and salting, we have to pay losses, keep profits away. So we have asked the people of the area to give it to us for free without throwing it in the water or burying it on the ground. If we get anything then we will have a way of income. And the local people gave us skins for free.

Shahin Ahmad, vice president of Shahjalal Leather Traders Association of Sylhet, said that about 80,000 skins have been collected in Sylhet district this year. Depending on the size, leather is sold from 200 to 400 rupees per piece of leather. As the market price of goat and sheep skins was low, there was little interest in these. So some have procured these skins at a nominal price.

He said that it cost an average of 400 rupees to collect raw leather. After adding salt to the skin and calculating the cost of transportation, it costs more than 300 rupees per skin. The cost only reaches 400 taka until the leather is sold to the tannery owners in Dhaka. All in all, an average of 7 to 800 rupees is spent on a skin.

General Secretary of Sylhet Shahjalal Leather Traders Association SM Shahjahan said, this time half of last year's leather has been collected. Because most of the upazilas of Sylhet are inundated with floods and the road communication is cut off. Sea route is expensive and time consuming so many seasonal traders did not collect skins.

He said, another reason is that we don't have enough money. We owe arrears to tannery owners in Dhaka. The price of everything is increasing, the price of salt has also increased. But our capital is not increasing much. We can preserve the leather with salt for up to 3 months. Next we have to go to the tannery owners. But tannery owners keep arrears every year. Since the last 6/7 years, our capital is gradually decreasing due to non-payment of cash by the tannery owners. Many have left the leather business.