By Md. Aminul Islam

DHAKA, May 19, 2026 (BSS) - Ahead of the holy Eid-ul-Azha, the government has taken several pragmatic initiatives to preserve sacrificial animal hides across the country. 

These include distributing free salt to madrasas, orphanages, and Lillah boarding houses, offering especial loan facilities to hide traders, and ensuring uninterrupted electricity supply to the BSCIC Leather Industrial City.
 
A taskforce formed to address the ongoing crisis in the leather industry and ensure the preservation of quality raw hides confirmed the information.

Free salt will be distributed nationwide to madrasas, orphanages, and Lillah boarding houses using government funds to prevent sacrificial hides from being damaged, according to sources from the taskforce responsible for recommending development plans and action strategies for the leather industry.
 
Procurement activities for salt worth Tk 176 million have already begun. At the same time, arrangements have been made to train meat workers and mosque imams to improve skills in properly skinning and preserving sacrificial hides.
 
Besides, the government-funded training program aims to reduce hide damage and improve quality.

Last year, there was a plan to purchase 11,571 metric tons of salt within an allocation of Tk 200 million for 9,330 madrasas, orphanages, and Lillah boarding houses. 

Based on actual district-level demand, 8,096 metric tons of salt were ultimately distributed. As a result, around 1,379,923 hides were successfully preserved.

According to the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, the number of sacrificial animals available this year is 12,333,840 in the country. 

Among them, nearly 5.7 million are cows and buffaloes, 6.6 million goats and sheep, and around 5,500 other animals. The demand for sacrificial animals this year is expected to exceed 10 million.

Preliminary estimates suggest that 80,000 to 85,000 metric tons of salt may be required for hide preservation this year. Around 70,000 metric tons of salt were used in this sector last year.

The taskforce said adequate salt supply will be ensured at district, upazila, and union levels, as well as in cattle markets and local shops. In addition, lists of salt dealers and mill owners across the country will be provided.

A draft database of hide warehouse owners and traders nationwide has also been prepared to strengthen hide collection and market management. There are plans to bring them under a formal registration system in the future.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Bank has announced special loan facilities to increase the financial capacity of traders for purchasing and preserving hides during the Eid season.

According to a circular issued on May 5, even traders with rescheduled or defaulted loans will be allowed to take new working capital loans until June 30 while remaining in default status.

Banks have also been instructed to set specific loan disbursement targets for the leather sector this year, which must not be lower than those of 2025.

To keep production activities running smoothly in the leather industry, initiatives have been taken to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply at fixed voltage for three months after Eid at the BSCIC Leather Industrial City in Dhaka.

Recommendations have been made to provide necessary instructions to PBS-3, REB, and Power Grid Bangladesh in this regard.

Emphasis has also been placed on maintaining round-the-clock electricity supply through a dedicated express feeder line to the CETP, operating emergency control rooms in both the industrial city and CETP, and allocating especial load capacity from the Savar grid.