Dhaka: The government aims to transform Bangladesh’s leather industry into a stronger, export-oriented sector by ensuring maximum utilisation of sacrificial animal hides from Eid-ul-Azha, Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir said on Friday. Speaking to reporters after inspecting raw hide trading operations at Posta in Lalbagh, the minister said a comprehensive, long-term plan covering development, preservation, processing, and export capacity of the leather sector would be placed before the nation by July.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the minister expressed confidence that with coordinated efforts from the government, active participation from traders and depot owners, and hide preservation drives based in mosques and madrasas, most of the sacrificial hides this year would be collected in usable condition. Muktadir, who visited Aminbazar on Thursday and Posta and Hemayetpur in Savar on Friday, noted that large volumes of hides had already reached traders and salting was underway. The full processing cycle typically takes two to three months since hides do not all arrive in Dhaka simultaneously.
The minister emphasized the importance of timely salting, warning that hides left untreated for more than four to six hours, particularly at temperatures of 38 to 40 degrees Celsius, risk rapid deterioration. Properly salted hides can be preserved for three to four months, he explained, outlining the leather production chain from raw hide to wet blue, crust leather, and finally finished leather, which is used to manufacture shoes, sandals, belts, and other products.
On the issue of hide smuggling, Muktadir assured that relevant authorities have been instructed to maintain strict surveillance to prevent any hides from being smuggled out of the country. Regarding the Savar leather industrial estate and its Central Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP), he acknowledged operational shortfalls. The CETP has a project capacity of 25,000 cubic metres per day but is currently functioning at only 14,000 to 18,000 cubic metres. Reforms will be undertaken to address this gap and attract further investment.
The minister also advocated for modernizing and mechanizing the slaughtering and skinning processes to enhance hide quality, noting that improper skinning significantly degrades the raw material. He highlighted that Bangladesh’s leather and leather goods market, including exports, is currently valued at approximately Tk 12,000 to 15,000 crore, with a substantial domestic market alongside. To ensure proper hide preservation, the government has distributed free salt through BSCIC and district administrations to madrasas and collection centres.
Industry Secretary Md Obaidur Rahman, Commerce Secretary (routine duty) Md Abdur Rahim Khan, BSCIC Director General Md Saiful Islam, and leaders of the Bangladesh Tanners Association were present on the occasion.