DHAKA — Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir said Thursday that the government is making an all-out effort to ensure the smooth collection, preservation, sale and transport of rawhides from animals slaughtered for Eid ul-Adha.
“Not a single Qurbani hide should be wasted — the prime minister has emphasized this point. We have taken it up as a national duty and a challenge,” Muktadir said.
The minister made the remarks at a directional meeting at the Commerce Ministry conference room in the Secretariat with divisional commissioners, city corporation administrators and deputy commissioners.
Qurbani hides are an important national resource, Muktadir said. Proper preservation, he said, would boost the country’s leather industry, export earnings and the financial capacity of orphanages, madrasas and lillah boardings. But a vast amount of hide is wasted each year because of minor lapses in awareness, he said, and the government had made extensive preparations to prevent that this year.
Muktadir urged khatibs and imams at every mosque in the country to underline the importance of preserving the hides, and of the correct method of removing them, in their sermons and remarks during the two Fridays before Eid. He also called on divisional commissioners to ensure the success of training programs to be organized for madrasas, orphanages, lillah boardings and others, under the supervision of deputy commissioners.
He directed divisional commissioners to form special monitoring teams and asked deputy commissioners to actively oversee post-training activity in the field. He also told city corporation administrators to monitor hide-preservation work alongside the management of Qurbani waste.
The meeting was told that the government has already allocated more than 17 crore taka (about $1.4 million) to supply salt free of charge to madrasas, orphanages and lillah boardings nationwide to protect the quality of rawhides. An additional 2.63 crore taka and 50,000 taka has been allocated for training activities, including 50,000 taka per upazila and 75,000 taka per district.
To raise public awareness, the government will distribute 3 lakh posters and 8 lakh leaflets. Campaigns will also be carried out through television, radio, national newspapers, social media and mobile text messages. Awareness documentaries will be broadcast on television channels starting three days before Eid.
Key decisions taken at the meeting include:
- Applying salt to hides within two to four hours of slaughter.
- Using 8 to 10 kilograms of salt per cattle hide and 3 to 4 kilograms per goat hide.
- Storing hides in well-ventilated areas.
- Encouraging local-level preservation of hides for seven to 10 days.
- Ensuring an adequate salt supply at cattle markets.
- Taking immediate action against misinformation and any activity that damages hides.
- Banning cattle markets along roads and highways, and ensuring proper disposal of Qurbani waste.
Commerce Ministry Secretary (routine duties) Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman chaired the meeting. Divisional commissioners, city corporation administrators and deputy commissioners presented their plans and views for their respective areas.
“With everyone’s combined effort, if we can properly implement these plans, then, God willing, not a single hide will be wasted this year and this valuable national resource can be preserved,” Muktadir said after the meeting.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report