Around 90,93,242 cattle have been sacrificed across the country this year on the eve of Eid-ul-Azha, the second most important religious festival of Muslims, said the Ministry of Fisheries and livestock Saturday.

Of the sacrificed animals 40,53,679 were cows and buffalos, 50,38,848 were goats and sheep and 715 were other cattle, said the ministry in a press release today.

This year the government has taken up the selling of cattle ahead of Eid on online platforms to reduce the risk of Covid spread amid the alarming spike of the infections.

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Digital Haat or digital cattle market was set up jointly by the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, ICT division, E-commerce Association of Bangladesh, district and upazila administration and other non-government organizations before the Eid.

A total of 3,87,579 cattle were sold online worth more than Tk 2,735 crore. The number was five times more than the previous year’s.

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Last year 86,874 cattle were sold online worth more than Tk 595 crore, according to the ministry.

The huge response inspires the ministry to expand the online platforms next year.