Rawhide being smuggled to India with impunity

Speakers at a seminar in Rajshahi yesterday expressed concern over "unabated smuggling" of rawhides to India through different borders in northwestern region of Bangladesh.
Although a huge number of rawhides are being smuggled to India every day, the country's law enforcers are not playing active role to stop it, they said.
Because of the smuggling, the country is incurring a huge loss in earning of foreign currencies, and local traders are being deprived of prices, they added.
Bangladesh Finished Leather, Leathergoods and Footwear Exporters Association and Leather Sector Business Promotion Council jointly organised the seminar styled "Awareness building against smuggling of rawhides" at Safawang Community Centre in the city.
With the association's adviser Dil Jahan Bhuiyan in the chair, Rajshahi City Corporation Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton, as chief gust; the association's Rajshahi unit President Ataur Rahman, Rajshahi District Hide Traders Group President Lutfar Rahman, and Natore District Hide Traders Association General Secretary Lutfar Rahman, among others, attended the programme.
Khairuzzaman said the city corporation will set up a modern slaughterhouse in the city within six months with cost of Tk 20 crore.
The slaughterhouse would be equipped with a modern hide-processing unit, he said.