Aftab Khan, President of Bangladesh Hide and Skin Merchant Association (BHSMA) spoke to Prothom Alo about various aspects of the leather business this year. Interviewed by Shafiqul Islam. In the first three days of Eid, our goal is to collect 1.5 lakh raw hides. I have been able to buy about one lakh raw hides from yesterday (first day of Eid) till noon today. Of this, 80 percent leather was bought on Eid day.
According to government rules, leather can enter Dhaka from outside Dhaka after 10 days of Eid. About 80 per cent of the salted leather from all over the country comes to Dhaka and goes directly to tanneries. The remaining 30 percent is bought by leather poster traders and then sold to tannery owners. Even 20 years ago, 100 percent of the salted leather went to the tannery through posters. That is no longer the case.
The sale of salted leather started from the fourth day of Eid. The raw hides that arrive in the first three days of Eid are sold within 15 days. And the salty skins that come from all over the country take two-and-a-half months to sell.
As far as we know, leather sales have been good for everyone this year. Seasonal traders, madrasas and orphanages have all been able to sell leather at good prices. Posta storekeepers are also happy to buy leather this time. Hopefully, the tannery owners will buy salted leather at the price fixed by the government. Otherwise, the storekeepers will face losses.
The number of postal warehouses has decreased a lot. Before 2015, there were 230 warehouses. Now there are 110. Many unlicensed plastic factories have sprung up in the area. They are renting a house with more rent. As a result, leather traders are not able to rent houses for the warehouse. Besides, many people are now selling leather at the local level with salt. Apart from this, leather warehouses have also been set up in several places including Hemayetpur. Due to these reasons, the supply of leather in the posta area is decreasing.