People who came to sell Qurbani animal hides in Barishal voiced their anger. Madrasa authorities say that if the situation continues they will not collect hides at the next Qurbani Eid, and many people, unable to get a fair price, simply left their hides with the traders and went away.

Traders, for their part, say they are in deep crisis too, as tannery owners still owe them about 80 per cent of last year's money.

These complaints came from talking to hide sellers and traders on Port Road in the city on Friday (29 May). Hides had been arriving by van, rickshaw and auto-rickshaw from different parts of the city since Thursday (28 May) afternoon.

Maulana Sohag Gazi, a teacher at a madrasa on Dhan Gobeshona Road, told Jago News: "Our madrasa had decided not to collect hides this time. Later we went out to collect them on the commerce minister's assurance. He said cowhide could be sold at Tk 60 to 65 per foot. But in reality the traders don't want to pay more than Tk 300 for a cowhide."

Kudrat Ali of Khaja Lillah Boarding in the Bottola area said: "If after working all day we have to sell a hide for Tk 300, there is no end to our hardship. Each of our students costs Tk 200 to 250. What is left for the boarding? It doesn't even cover the transport."

Abul Hossain of the Muslim Graveyard Lillah Boarding told Jago News: "Generous people give us hides. We had heard beforehand that prices would be low this time, but we didn't realise they would be this low. Goatskins have to be given away almost free along with the cowhides."

Port Road hide trader Mohammad Nasir said: "We have received only 20 to 25 per cent of last year's money, so the business is close to shutting down. If seven hides come in, I keep one and turn away the other six. I am buying cowhides at Tk 300 to 450, and goatskins have no price at all. These hides will be sent to Dhaka after 20 to 30 days."

He said: "We have to run the business under strain. Barishal once had 150 to 200 traders. Now there are at most 10 to 15."

On the spot, hides collected on Port Road were being taken to Balurghat and washed in the Kirtankhola river, then carried by trawler to Rasulpur, where workers were processing them with salt.

Hide-processing worker Abu Bakkar said: "The hide market has been like this for the last four or five years. Every year there are fewer traders and less work for us. People bring lots of hides, but the traders don't want to buy. And what would they do even if they bought them? The tannery owners don't pay."

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.