Reza Mahmud :
Cattle traders are worried as to how to take cattle in different parts of the country ahead of the Eid-ul-Azha, which will be celebrated on August 22, amidst sudden transport strike, students’ road safety movement and fear of extortion.
“We have taken preparations to bring sacrificial animals in the makeshift markets of the capital. But the students’ movement for road safety and the transport owners and labourers’ undeclared strike have made us worried. If the situation does not improve, our business will be hampered,” said Anisur Rahman Naeem, lease holder of the capital’s makeshift sacrificial cattle market of Khilkhet Banarupa.
He said the traders import cattle in city markets four days before the Eid-ul-Azha. But it is a long term preparation to bring cows and other cattle to Dhaka market as most of those have to bring from remote areas of our country as well from India and Myanmar.
The sources of cattle traders said, they are passing days with anxiety as they cannot go remote districts to collect cows and goats.
“In such circumstances, the cattle traders may be scared to import cows to the capital, to take to Chattogram and other cities. Because, the dishonest persons usually wait for such a instable situations to loot cow trucks as we experienced earlier,” said another lease holder preferring anonymity.
The traders have asked the government to make the cattle journey safe. They have also requested to take sufficient measures to stop extortionists from harassing the traders.
They said the extronists and musclemen in different areas usually collect money from traders forcibly every year. It makes the cows’ price high and eventually the cattle traders face loss in business.
“We hope that all negative situations will be eliminated soon. And the government will take stern action against all the extortionists to make the cows movement smooth so that the people of the country be able to buy cattle at reasonable prices.
It will be helpful to boost cattle farming in our country to make the country’s economy stronger,” said Shafiqul Islam, another lease holder of the city’s Uttara makeshift sacrificial cattle market.
He also asked the cattle traders to be united and inform police about every incident.
There are 13 makeshift cattle markets in Dhaka South City Corporation and nine in Dhaka North City Corporation for sale of Eid cattle.
