The interim government on Sunday set the prices of salted rawhide of cows at Tk 60- 65 a square foot in the capital Dhaka before Eid-ul-Azha, a Muslim religious festival during which animals, including cows and goats, are sacrificed in the country in large numbers.
In the previous year, the prices of cow rawhide were Tk 55-60 a square foot, set almost one year ago by the past Awami League regime, which was ousted in a mass uprising on August 5, 2024.
However, the collection of rawhides during Eid-ul-Azha has faced serious price anomalies in the country over the years, as the seasonal businesses who collect rawhides door to door and hundreds of madrasas which receive rawhides as donation are forced to sell the items at much less than the government-set prices.
The rawhide collection during Eid-ul-Azha, which will be celebrated early June, is very significant for the country鈥檚 tannery businesses as almost all of the annual rawhides are collected by tanners during the period.
A total of 1.04 crore animals were sacrificed across the country during Eid-ul-Azha in 2024.
The occasion is also important for the leather and leather goods exporters who earned $932.53 million in 10 months of the outgoing financial year of 2025-26, with a 10-per cent growth.
On Sunday, the prices of salted rawhides of cows outside the capital were also raised by Tk聽5 to Tk聽55-60 a square foot.
Besides, the export ban on rawhides and wet-blue leather has been withdrawn for a period of three months.
Commerce adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin announced the prices and other decisions at a press briefing held at his office at the secretariat in the capital on Sunday.
The commerce adviser said that letters had already been sent to the ambassadors of China and Vietnam in Bangladesh, inviting their countries to import rawhides.
He also said that they in consultation with the traders set the minimum prices of salt-treated rawhides of small-sized cattle at Tk聽1,350 in the capital Dhaka and Tk聽1,150 outside the capital.
To prevent smuggling across the border, letters have been sent to the director general of Border Guard Bangladesh, the inspector general of police, and all deputy commissioners, said the commerce adviser.
They are instructed to enforce a transport ban on rawhides to and from Dhaka for at least 10 days after Eid, he said.
For a better management of the rawhide collection, the government will distribute 30,000 tonnes of salt to the madrasas and orphanages.
On Sunday, the price of rawhides of he-goats was set at Tk聽20-25 a square foot and that of rawhides of she-goats at Tk 18-20 across the country.
On May 4, fisheries and livestock adviser Farida Akhter said that an estimated over 1.29 crore animals were expected to be available for sacrifice this year.
This includes over 56.02 lakh cows and buffaloes, over 68.38 lakh goats and sheep and over 5,500 animals of other species.