S A Shofiee, Sylhet :Despite Sylhet City Corporation’s prohibition on makeshift cattle markets this year, influential quarters including the pro-Awami League leaders and activists have allegedly set up several markets in different parts of the city ahead of Eid-ul-Azha.During a visit Tuesday, this correspondent found at least two areas–Law College and Chalibandar–where bamboo structures have been erected and the sale of sacrificial animals started, with traders inviting buyers through loudspeakers.In addition, construction was underway at Sports Complex playground, Dariyapara, Modushohid, Patantula, Kazitula, Masimpur, Ambarkhana, Akhalia, Taltola, Tilagar, Jalopara, Tacnical Road and open space in front of MC College but the workers could not name any of the organisers of the markets.These will open in a day or two, they said.the SCC decided not to lease out any open place for makeshift markets to prevent traffic congestion and extortion during Eid, said SCC Chief Excutive Anamul Habib. They have also requested police to evict the illegal markets, he told.Badar Uddin Ahmed, the city Awami League president, also former SCC mayor, said they did not encourage any activist to set up illegal cattle markets, adding that they would take action if any specific complaint was found. Denying his complicity in setting up any market near Chalibandar, Abul Kaher Iju, a city AL leader, and Truck Malik Group president, said he had sought permission but did not get it.However, he said some Bangladesh Chhatra League and Jubo League men were setting up markets in the areas.Sylhet city BCL general secretary denied the allegation but said some people were setting up the markets using their names.While the construction of the illegal markets was going on in full swing right before the law enforcers, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Sylhet Metropolitan Police Mohammad Rahamat Ullah said they would dismantle those on specific allegations.He said they stopped some groups in Mendibag and nearby areas from setting up such markets.The official added that some people were seen stopping the cattle-laden trucks coming from outside and forcing them to sell their animals at the illegal markets.Sylhet city has only one authorised cattle market, in Kazirbazar.Barisal Correspondent reports : With only one – day left for Eid-ul-Azha, cattle markets in Barisal getting momentum on Tuesday and assumed to be reached on peak from Wednesday.Prices of sacrificial animals went 15-20 percent up this year due to less and late supply of Indian-cattle, extortion on way, high cost of transport, fodder, said the traders and buyers.Eight cattle markets including 3 permanent at Rupatali, Baghia and Port Road and 5 makeshift at Kalijira, Kawnia, C and B, Nabogram and Kashipur areas approved by the Barisal City Corporation and at least 13 illegal cattlemarkets in different areas of the city started functioning, said Abdur Razzak, BCC market-inspector.In the district twelve legal including three permanent and nine temporary cattle markets at Kosba, Boalia, Mohonganj, Guachitra, Charbaria, Kagashura and more than 100 illegal cattle markets also getting momentum.Luthfar Rahman, commissioner of Barisal Metropolitan Police and Akhtaruzzaman, district police superintendent, said they accelerated patrolling in uniform and plain cloths at entrance points, on roads and highways to prevent extortions, muggers, pickpocketers and installed fake currency detection booths in legal cattle markets from Monday.On other hand, livestock officers and veterinary surgeons of the district and BCC, said they formed 2-4 member inspection teams to check marketing of artificially fattened and sick sacrificial animal in every upazila level.While visiting different legal and illegal cattle markets in the city and surrounding areas it was seen that supply of cattle, oxen and goats are good, but their selling and buying are yet to reach its peak till this report.Buyers of the markets on Tuesday said they would rather try the market again on Wednesday, Thursday and early Friday when the buyers and the sellers would come to terms, no matter whom the terms favor and when both the buyers and the sellers expect to gain from each others’ relative desperation.Hossain Mia, a cattle trader at Baghiya cattle market, said customers were roaming at the market, but they just comparing prices of sacrificial animals visiting different cattle markets instead of buying them.Preserving animals for long-time and managing fodder for those would become trouble-some in the urban areas due to shortage of space and manpower. So we prefer to purchase sacrifice-animal at the last time, said Abdur Rahman, a city dweller.A trader of Jessore, Abdul Ali, alleging silent extortion said he had to pay Dalals (mediators) of the traffic police and local hoodlums Tk 1500 to pass a transport carrying ten cattle from Kushtia to Barisal. Akbar Mia, who brought ten medium-size cows from Kushtia to sale, said the price of husk (bhushi) per sack had increased from Tk 900-1000 in 2006 to Tk 2500-3000 this year.Mentioning high transport cost a reason for price hike of cattle heads, trader Rahim Mia said he brought 17 cows from Kushtia by a truck with spending additional Tk 35 thousand as carrying charge and other costing.Mintu Abdur Rahamn from Rangpur adds: The cattle markets of Rangpur district are being dominated by middlemen and dalals (brokers), the sellers and buyers of sacrificial animals at different cattle markets in Rangpur district are facing serious harassment.Both the buyers and sellers of sacrificial animals at most of the cattle markets or haats in Rangpur city and upazila areas are being deceived by middlemen and brokers on the eve of the holy Eid-ul-Azha.A large number buyers and sellers of sacrificial animals who arrive at the cattle markets or local haats are duped by the brokers or middlemen who move there in the guise of real buyers or sellers of cattle.Akmal Mia (50), a cattle seller at Lalbagh cattle haat told the The New Nation on Sunday that he came from Fulchauki village in Mithapukur upazila with the hope of selling his cattlehead at a good price. But he had to face serious difficulties in selling his cow owing to harassment by the brokers as he was bound to sell his cows at a much lower price than his expectation. Moreover, he was forced to pay the brokers Tk 600 as commission, he added.Masum (40), a broker at Lalbagh cattle haat in the city, said he earns Tk 2,000 to Tk 3,000 per haat day from brokery. “We just help people in purchasing and selling sacrificial animals and in this way earn some money. I think it is not an offence”, he added.Some buyers at Lalbagh cattle haat said it is so tough to buy a sacrificial animal without managing local brokers. They have to pay Tk 500 to Tk 600 to the dalals for buying a cow. It was informed that the price of sacrificial animals was steady but the price may shoot up a bit because of the soaring price of animal food and transport cost this year.The farmers said because of high prices of fodder, many farm owners sold their cattle and opted for other trades as it was not possible for the farmers to gain profit in this business.Meanwhile, currency screening machines were installed in some of the cattle markets in the city and nine upazilas of the district with a view to resisting the use of fake notes in the markets on the occasion of the holy Eid-ul-Azha.
