Staff Reporter :The owners of tannery industry have suffered a loss of Tk 459 crore by this time due to ongoing hartal and blockade, said Bangladesh Tanners Association (BTA). “The violent political programme has made it difficult to bring leather to Dhaka from other parts of the country. It is also very difficult to export it through ports. The owners of tannery industry have already suffered much. The loss figure will increase if the situation does not improve,” BTA leaders said.They said this at a press briefing in the Dhaka Reporters’ Unity Auditorium on Monday afternoon. BTA President Shahin Ahmed read out a written statement while BTA General Secretary Md Mosaraf Hossain, former President and General Secretary of BTA Shamsul Huda and Shakhawat Ullah respectively, were present, among others. BTA president said, violent political situation prevails in the country. The communication system has broken down apparently. The transport owners demand sometimes two or three times higher fare for carrying leather goods. We cannot deliver goods in time. Importers are now reluctant to take goods from Bangladeshi tannery industry. As a result, Tk 3,500 crore leather goods are lying in tanneries, he said. “The owners of tannery industry are now in a loss what to do. They cannot pay bank interest. They are becoming defaulters. It is bad for the tannery industry,” Shahin Ahmed said. Shahin Ahmed demanded payment of Tk five thousand crore to the owners of tannery industry as soft loan to save the sector. He called upon the Prime Minister, leader of the Opposition, leader of 20-party, leaders of different political parties, members of civil society, intellectuals, economists, leaders of human rights organisations, leaders of the professional organisations and the country’s general people to work united overcome the prevailing situation and to save the tannery industry.
