The government will distribute 9,800 tonnes of salt free of charge to religious and charitable institutions across the country ahead of Eid-ul-Adha to preserve the hides of sacrificial animals. The Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) will complete the initiative within the next week. Chattogram district will receive the largest allocation at 1,005 tonnes, while Bandarban will get 15 tonnes.

BSCIC first undertook a nationwide salt distribution in 2025. It originally planned to supply 30,000 tonnes but later delivered 11,571 tonnes based on lists compiled by field administrations. District administrations channelled that salt, worth BDT 200 million, to religious and charitable organisations.

Domestic salt output has fallen sharply this season, driving up prices. BSCIC has therefore held the allocation at BDT 200 million and cut the volume by 1,752 tonnes to 9,819 tonnes.

Bangladeshis sacrifice more than 10 million animals each year during Eid-ul-Adha. Religious and charitable institutions collect most of the hides, but insufficient salt often prevents timely preservation. The government’s free distribution programme, covering all 64 districts, aims to close that gap.

BSCIC says it has made early preparations this year. The corporation has fixed district-specific rates for mill owners, ranging from BDT 12,500 to BDT 15,500 per tonne of salt. Those rates carry an additional 15 percent VAT and a BDT 500 per-tonne transport charge. Cox’s Bazar gets the lowest rate and several districts in northern Bangladesh the highest. Registered mills have received allocations according to their capacity and must deliver the salt to the field level at least one week before Eid-ul-Adha.

This season, the government had set a salt production target of more than 2.5 million tonnes, but output stood at only 1.79 million tonnes by May 12, largely due to disruption from early rainfall. The price per maund (a unit of 44 kg) has climbed from BDT 350 to BDT 450 in a fortnight. Higher prices have forced BSCIC to cut its free distribution volume by 1,750 tonnes compared with last year.

Mohammad Asaduzzaman, proprietor of Chattogram’s Messrs Lal Mia Salt & Crushing Industries, told Bonik Barta: “BSCIC moved very early on this year’s free salt distribution. But early rain drove down production, and prices have surged.” He also claimed that rising transport costs and broader inflation had made pre-Eid supply uncertain.

BSCIC on April 15 asked mill owners across the country for their lists in preparation for the free salt drive. A letter signed by Sarwar Hossain, head of the corporation’s salt cell, instructed that only registered and actively producing mills would handle supply.

A second letter, signed by BSCIC Director (Industrial Development and Extension) Abdul Matin on April 23, set out 11 directives, including the formation of district-level monitoring committees. On May 12, the corporation finalised district-wise allocation letters for the mills.

Sarwar Hossain told Bonik Barta that pre-Eid traffic congestion and higher freight charges always push up the effective price of salt. “Drawing on that experience, we prepared early this year. We finalised the allocation letters after considering higher transport costs and salt prices,” he said. Hossain insisted that even if field-level prices rise, supply management will not face a crisis.