Staff Corresponden:

Madrasahs, orphanages, and lillah boarding schools are the primary recipients of rawhide from animals sacrificed during Eid-ul-Azha. However, the market value of rawhide has been declining every year, causing primary collectors to lose interest in preserving it.

To address this, the government supplied salt to many such institutions for preservation. Yet, the effort largely failed: a significant amount of salt went unused.

The Ministry of Commerce purchased 11,571 tonnes of salt for Tk 200 million and distributed it across madrasahs, orphanages, and lillah boarding schools in all 64 districts.

However, allegations have emerged that salt was allocated to many institutions unnecessarily. In some cases, it was reportedly sold off. Meanwhile, some institutions that were listed did not receive any salt at all.

In a letter dated 27 May, the Ministry of Commerce instructed its chief accountant to allocate funds for salt procurement through the district administrations. Based on the list provided by the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC), district administrators collected salt from salt mill owners for distribution.

Md. Yusuf, principal of Abu Bakar Madrasah in Bashkhali upazila of Chattogram, said they collected 479 pieces of rawhide this Eid. “We sold the rawhide to traders on the night of Eid after collecting them in the afternoon. Although we received two and a half maunds of salt from the district administration, there was no need to preserve the hide. We handed the salt over to those who took the rawhide,” he said.

Despite not needing salt for preservation, many institutions still received allocations. An official from Kamdamobarak, the largest orphanage in Chattogram, said, “The district administration asked us to accept the salt even though we didn’t need it. Since we had no use for it, we declined.”

Chattogram received 640 tons of salt worth Tk 9.8 million. Addressing the issue of forced allocation, Executive Magistrate Saiful Islam said, “Three of the recipient institutions reported they did not preserve the rawhide. The salt was then transferred to nearby madrasahs where more rawhide had been collected.”

In Khagrachhari, 57 institutions were given salt. Mohammad Selim, general secretary of the board of Jabbaria Alim Madrasah, said, “Our madrasah was given four tons of salt, but we did not preserve any rawhide.”

Commenting on this, Khagrachhari Deputy Commissioner Iftekharul Islam said, “Salt was allocated based on reported demand. But in light of the complaints, the matter needs to be reviewed.”

NOT MUCH RAWHIDE PRESERVATION

Even in districts like Feni, where salt was distributed, many institutions failed to preserve the rawhide. Some lacked the infrastructure for preservation; others chose to sell the salt instead.

Muhtamim Kamrul Ahsan of Taltoli Qawmi Madrasah in Daganbhuiyan, Feni, said, “We were forcibly given 62 bags of salt to preserve the skins, but we sold them. Each bag fetched Tk 300.”

Mahmudul Hasan, education director of Nurpur Darul Ulum Mahiusunnah Madrasah and Orphanage in Fulgazi, said they were instructed to collect salt from the upazila administration but chose not to, as they did not preserve any rawhide.

Conversely, some institutions needed salt but received none. Abdul Karim, a teacher at Sharshadi Darul Ulum Madrasah in Feni Sadar, said, “We collected 1,000 pieces of rawhide this time, but we were not given any salt. No one even contacted us.”

Feni Deputy Commissioner Saiful Islam said the government’s intent was to support preservation by distributing salt. However, he acknowledged hearing that some recipients failed to preserve the rawhide even after receiving salt. Asked about complaints from institutions listed but not provided salt, he said he was not aware of such issues.