The government will help in preserving them until the price of hides is not fair this year, said Trade Advisor and convener of the Committee to Ensure Fair Management of Sacrifice-Related Matters Sheikh Bashiruddin.
He said, orphans have the right over sacrificial hides. We have held a high-level committee meeting to ensure its fair price. Where the major decision was that the government will provide 30,000 tons of salt to madrasas and orphanages. The institutions will preserve them until the fair price of the hides is not met.
He said these things to journalists after the first meeting of the Committee to Ensure Fair Management of Sacrificial Matters at the conference room of the Ministry of Commerce today, Wednesday (May 21, 2025) at noon.
He said, training will be provided for management and preservation in madrasas and orphanages. We will make an instructional video. They will be widely disseminated to create public awareness.
He said, “Earlier, raw hides would come all at once from all over the country. The hides would rot, so they had to sell them at a lower price even if they did not get the price. This will not happen this time.”
Our chief advisor wants the poor to get a fair price for their hides. We will meet again tomorrow, Thursday (May 22), when the price of hides will be determined. This year, the price of hides will be higher than last year, he said.
We also decided in the meeting that animals should not be bought and sold outside the designated animal markets. There was talk of reducing the profit margin to 5%. We also discussed supply and demand in detail.
He added, “If we do not get the price, we will export raw hides directly if necessary.” He expressed hope of getting a suitable price at the local level.
At the press conference, Fisheries and Livestock Advisor Farida Akhtar said, “This time, there will be a fair market, transportation and correct implementation of prices. We are working to ensure that there is no cruelty to animals and that animals are not fattened using any harmful drugs.”
Special Assistant to the Chief Advisor (Defense and National Integration Development Affairs) Lieutenant General (Retd) Abdul Hafiz said that the police and highway police will work to reduce transportation-based fraud. In addition, members of the army will be eager to provide overall support to the people. A central cell will be formed and if complaints are made by calling the hotline number and 999, the police and the army will take necessary action. At the same time, he called on journalists to inform the people about the benefits of calling 999 and the hotline number.
Incidentally, a notification was issued last Tuesday (May 20) to form a committee to ensure the fair price of the sacrificial skin and to ensure the proper management of the sacrificial animal.
The high-level committee has 17 members, the convener of which is the Commerce Advisor. In addition, the committee members include the Home Affairs Advisor, Industry Advisor, Road Transport and Bridges Advisor, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Advisor, Local Government Advisor, Fisheries and Livestock Advisor, Religious Affairs Advisor, Information and Broadcasting Advisor, Special Assistant to the Chief Advisor (Ministry of Home Affairs), Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) Chief Executive Officer Chowdhury Ashiq Mahmud Bin Harun, Press Secretary to the Chief Advisor, Industry Secretary, NGO representatives, representatives of religious institutions and private sector representatives (nominated by the government). The member secretary of the committee is the Commerce Secretary.
The committee will determine the process for properly collecting and preserving hides and ensuring adequate supply of salt for this; ensure appropriate price for hides and ensure fair and efficient management of matters related to Qurbani.
In addition, it will provide necessary instructions to protect the interests of religious institutions in receiving money from the sale of hides; The committee will issue guidelines on preventing cruelty during sacrificial markets, animal transportation, and transportation, and formulate an action plan for rapid and proper waste management across the country, including the Leather Industry City and Savar.
