A cattle market for Eid-ul-Azha has been set up in Natore’s Singra upazila with the slogan “Transactions are going cashless, Bangladesh is becoming smart”.
The buying and selling of sacrificial animals at the market is being conducted through Nagad, one of the country’s leading mobile financial service providers.
State Minister for Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak
initiated this cashless cattle market in Singra’s Ferry Ghat area.
Thanks to his efforts, the cattle market has been sitting every year ahead of Eid-ul-Azha since the Covid-19 pandemic, said a press release issued on Thursday.
From the only digital payment booth at this market, buyers and sellers are enjoying the country’s lowest cash-out charge on Nagad. This initiative is particularly helping buyers and sellers avoid pickpocketing and other crimes that are common in cattle markets.
The introduction of the digital payment booth has made it easy for the people of Singra to conduct transactions via mobile phones. Moreover, traders coming from distant areas can safely return home after selling cattle by making cashless transactions through Nagad.
Regarding this initiative, Nagad Ltd.’s Deputy Managing Director Shihab Uddin Chowdhury said, “Nagad is the first name that comes to mind when it comes to encouraging cashless transactions in the country. Every year during Eid-ul-Azha, we provide safe and affordable transaction services at various cattle markets across the country. We also offer other services.”
For those without a Nagad account coming to the cattle market, the popular MFS provider is offering the convenience of opening an account within a minute at the digital payment booth.
Local MP Palak initiated this effort during the Covid-19 pandemic to prevent its transmission.
It was then that the cashless cattle market began in Singra. Since then, this market sits every year during Eid-ul-Azha at the Ferry Ghat area.
Due to good communication systems, people from remote areas come to the cattle market to buy and sell sacrificial animals.
The opportunity for safe, cashless transactions has made this market quite popular.
Previously, residents of Chalan Beel did not have such facilities, but now the people of Singra are enjoying these benefits through Nagad. Cashless transactions for cattle trading are already available in major cities, such as Dhaka and Chattogram.
This facility has become available in Singra owing to the efforts of Nagad and Minister of State Zunaid Ahmed Palak. The government is working towards building a cent percent cashless Bangladesh by 2041.
In this extensive endeavour, Palak, is playing a significant role. As a key partner in this journey towards a cashless Bangladesh, Nagad is extending the benefits of cashless transactions to upazilas like Singa and even remote areas across the country.
Nagad is successfully and safely disbursing allowances for 27 ministries, such as social safety net allowances, education stipends, disability allowances, old age allowances, and the Prime Minister’s Education Assistance Trust’s stipends.