No scope for smuggling out rawhides: commerce secretary

There is no scope for smuggling rawhides out of the country as the members of law-enforcing agencies, including the Border Guard Bangladesh, have been on high alert, Senior Commerce Secretary Tapan Kanti Ghosh said today.

He made the comments while visiting some markets of rawhides in Faridpur, according to a press release of the commerce ministry.

Ghosh blamed the oversupply of rawhides for low prices. However, if animal skins are preserved properly, sellers could get a better price, he said.

Currently, Bangladesh can export tanned skins only to China as the country has not been able to obtain the much-required certification from the Leather Working Group (LWG), a not-for-profit membership organisation working to create meaningful change across the global leather supply chain, for a lack of compliance. 

"Once the LWG certification is obtained, local skins and hide exporters will get better prices from international retailers and brands," said the senior secretary.

Ghosh suggested the deputy commissioner in Faridpur build a warehouse to preserve rawhides collected from the nearby areas.