In Chattogram, large quantities of sacrificial animal hides have gone to waste again this year, continuing a trend since 2018. Seasonal traders abandoned the market after failing to get fair prices, blaming a powerful syndicate and poor coordination by the Ministry of Commerce. They said the recurring losses are breaking the rawhide supply chain and damaging the national economy.

Industry sources cited several reasons for the sector’s ongoing crisis, including the non-operation of the central effluent treatment plant in Savar, which limits Bangladesh’s competitiveness in international markets. Traders also criticized the government’s annual price-setting process for salted rawhide, claiming it ignores real market conditions and involves participants with little connection to the industry. As a result, confusion spreads among seasonal traders, who often buy hides at inflated rates and incur losses.

Local tannery owners and traders said the government’s fixed prices—ranging from Tk 56 to 67 per square foot—do not reflect actual trading values. They urged authorities to monitor tannery purchases and focus on rebuilding domestic and international markets to revive the struggling leather industry.