Bangladesh’s Industry Ministry has reported that orphanages and religious boarding schools have preserved over 1.3 million animal hides this Eid, compared to just over 200,000 last year. This sharp increase follows a government initiative to provide free salt to such institutions. Additionally, many organizations procured salt independently to assist in hide preservation. However, the ministry also noted instances where seasonal traders withheld salt to inflate prices, causing some valuable hides to spoil due to prolonged negotiations and market reluctance.