People face cattle crisis in Dhaka towards end of Eid-ul-Azha
Shortage of sacrificial animals affects devotees
STAFF REPORTER
The capital this year experienced a crisis of animals at the last moment of the sales of sacrificial animals, forcing many Muslim devotees to slaughter their animals even on the third day of the Eid-ul-Azha, one of the main festivals of the Muslims.
Talking to The Independent, some of them said they had to buy sacrificial animals from the permanent cattle market at Gabtoli at higher rates as they did not get animals at the city corporation markets on the last day. The cattle traders said most of them did not bring cattle to the city on the last day of the markets this year as they had had to count losses in previous years.
We are no longer interested in bringing cattle in the city from the countryside as it came to our notice that the prices of cattle usually come down on the last day of the market, given the huge supply of such animals, said Bablu Miah, a cattle trader hailing from Pabna.
Bablu Miah, who supplied cattle to the Jhikatola cattle market, further said he had requested his colleagues in Pabna to send more cattle when he saw the crisis unfolding in the markets. They, however, refused as they were afraid of possible losses.
Another trader, Jamaluddin, echoed Bablu Miah, saying they did not take the risk to bring cattle to the city from the northern districts, as they feared that they may not be able to sell those before the Eid.
Usually, the prices of cattle come down on the last day of formal markets, but this time, it was just the opposite. Most cattle markets were devoid of cattle, pushing the buyers towards uncertainty and making a dent in their pockets.
Rabeya Bosri, a housewife of Shapla Housing area in Shamoly, said they had bought a cow from Gabtoli market for Tk. 90,300 on the last day of the markets. In contrast, one of her neighbours bought a cow of similar size for just Tk. 65,000.
She admitted that she had had to shell out additional money for the cow as they had expected that they would be able to buy a cow at a lower rate on the last days markets, as in previous years.
A buyer was seen moving around Kajla cattle market on the morning of the Eid day, when it was raining, to buy a cow. He asked locals whether there were any cattle for sale, but he failed to get a cow as the market had ended the day before.
The locals advised him to visit the Gabtoli permanent market to buy cows.
In the afternoon, some people were seen on Shamoly main road, who were ferrying cows by mini-trucks from Gabtoli market.
Abdus Sattar, a resident of Kathalbagan, said one of his relatives slaughtered a cow on Monday, the third day of the Eid-ul-Azha, as he had not been able to buy a cow before the Eid day.
According to Islamic rituals, cattle can be slaughtered for two more days following the Eid day.
Aminul Islam, estate officer at Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), conceded that he had come to know that there was a cattle crisis on the last day of markets. He, however, said that the crisis had been spawned as many cattle-carrying trucks had been stranded on the way to Dhaka and had reached the city too late.
The estate office said the DNCC gave leases to eight cattle markets, including the permanent market of Gabtoli.
Again, the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) gave leases to 12 cattle markets in the southern part of the city.
