BSS, Chittagong :
Cattle markets in the port city and 14 upazilas of the district have gained momentum with numerous buyers and thousands of sacrificial animals before a week of Eid-ul-Azha, the second largest religious festival for the Muslims.
A huge number of sacrificial animals are being brought for sale at different cattle markets in the city including Bibir hat Bazar, Sagorika Bazar, Nurnagar housing society hat, Patenga City Corporation High School premises, Komol Mohajan Hat and Postarpar school temporary hat.
Traders said there were plenty of supplies of cattle to the markets and their prices were exorbitant in some extent in comparison to the previous year’s Eid-ul-Azha.
There is no shortage of cattle supply to the markets despite total stoppage of importing cattle and buffalo from the neighboring country this year, said Abul Kashem, a cattle trader, who came from Teqnaf.
The price of an ideal sized cow or buffalo starts from Tk 28,000 to 65,000 and a sheep or goat can be purchased from Tk 5,000 to 20,000.
In addition to the city’s biggest cattle market- Sagorika Bazar, some temporary markets have been set up at Steel Mill Bazar, Court Bazar, and Karnaphuli south side temporary hat.
The wholesale cattle traders still sending the cattle at the markets of the port city and 14 upazilas of the district after purchasing from different districts of the country, Saiful Huda Jahangir, Izaradar of Sagoriks Bazar told BSS.
Meanwhile, the demand for domestic animals for sacrificial purposes has been seemingly increased as the wholesalers are sending large animal consignments at those Chittagong markets from different big markets of north eastern district of the country, he added.
Traders said 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.
“Transport fare might have an impact on the cattle price,” said Nure Alam Bhuiyan, a cattle trader of Bibir Hat bazar.
Meanwhile, currency screening machines were installed in some of the cattle markets in the city and 14 upazilas of the district with a view to resist the use of fake notes in the markets on the occasion of the holy Eid-ul- Azha.
Abdul Jalil Mondol, Commissioner of Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP), told BSS that the CMP had taken all necessary measures to ensure law and order in and around the cattle markets.
“District police and CMP have installed temporary security camps at every cattle market in the city while patrol teams and plain-cloth police have also been deployed in the cattle markets,” added Mondol.
He said the CMP had taken measures so that the cattle markets are not set up on roads and streets disrupting the vehicular movement.
“In order to ease traffic congestion in and around the cattle markets in the city, we have launched traffic management,” he said.
