According to Bangladesh Bank sources, the government has already instructed the central bank to set up a loan fund for leather traders. Shakhawat Ullah, general secretary of Bangladesh Tanners Association, said that tanners were simply uninterested in applying for loans to purchase rawhide this year. According to Bangladesh Bank, Agrani Bank had received Tk180 crore last year for rawhide loans, but it could disburse only Tk20.65 crore. Dhaka Bank and Prime Bank respectively received Tk50 crore and Tk50 lakh for lending to tanners, but could not disburse any of it. Krishi Bank received Tk2.5 crore, while NCC Bank got Tk50 lakh and City Bank Ltd got Tk25 lakh for the leather sector this year.

Source: Dhaka Tribune July 13, 2021 13:41 UTC