Thrill gone from Barishal’s rawhide market

The once-thriving wholesale rawhide market along Barishal's Port Road by the Kirtankhola River has experienced a decline in activities this Eid-ul-Azha.

During a visit, significantly fewer raw cowhides and people were seen compared to previous years.

Despite government-fixed rates, hides from large sacrificial cattle, worth over Tk 1 lakh, were selling for just Tk 650–700 per piece. Medium-sized hides fetched Tk 500–550, while smaller ones went for Tk 350–400. Although wholesalers claimed prices are about Tk 100 higher than last year, many sellers argued that rates have actually dropped.

This afternoon, Port Road remained unusually quiet, with few hide-laden vans or buyers in sight. Traders attributed the decline to the growing trend of madrasas preserving hides themselves.

"Each large madrasa now has its own storage facility, using government-supplied salt," said a trader. As a result, fewer sellers are coming to the wholesale market.

Goat hides, meanwhile, remain virtually worthless, traders noted.

Mofizul Islam, director of Rahmania Madrasa in Korapur, Barishal, said he sold 119 large cowhides at Tk 650 each. Mohammad Kamal Miah, president of Banglabazar's Madinatul Madina Madrasa, said he sold 40 hides for only Tk 700 each.

"Last year, I got Tk 750 per hide. I heard prices rose, but in reality, they're lower. If this continues, people will stop preserving hides," Kamal Miah warned.

Mohammad Zakir Hossain, a local trader, said most hides this year are being preserved by madrasas. "That's why the usual market crowd is missing. Tanneries pay us very little and often delay payments by up to a year. We salt and process the hides, but the low prices force us to buy at minimal rates," he said, adding that local traders buy by the piece, not by square footage.

Another trader, Mohammad Nasir, said he bought over 12,000 hides last year but expects to purchase only around 3,000 this year due to lower supply and tighter margins.

Barishal has about 25 wholesale hide traders, but the business is now shifting away from the traditional market model. With madrasas selling directly to tanneries, many have established their own preservation units. Traders fear this unprofessional preservation could lead to widespread hide spoilage.