Gabtoli Haat, one of the largest cattle markets of the country, has gained momentum with a day left for Eid-ul-Azha as a number of sacrificial animals have been brought to this market since Thursday noon. Traders were seen keeping the sacrificial cattle at suitable places at the haat in order to attract buyers.

A special cattle train from Chapainawabganj left for Dhaka Wednesday with 22 sacrificial animals ahead of Eid-ul-Azha. District Livestock Officer Mostafizur Rahman inaugurated the service at Chapainawabganj Railway Station in the afternoon. Chapainawabganj Assistant Station Master Obaidullah said the train left for the capital with 18 cows and four goats. The cattle train will leave Chapainawabganj Station at 4.30pm and reach the capital by night every day. It will leave Tejgaon for Chapainawabganj at 5am. Read: Cattle traders robbed of Tk 30 lakh in Meghna The transportation cost for each cow has been fixed at Tk591.50 and each goat at Tk296. The train service will continue until July 8, Obaidullah added. The special service was launched on the Chapainawabganj-Rajshahi-Dhaka (Tejgaon) route on July 17 last year to transport sacrificial animals at a low cost considering the Covid-19 situation.

The government will not allow cattle markets on roads and highways ahead of the upcoming Eid-ul-Adha, said Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque."Markets of sacrificial animals on roads and highways and extortion from animals carrying trucks will not be allowed in any way," he said, while talking to reporters after a meeting on Sunday afternoon.The decision was taken at the Cabinet committee meeting on law and order situation held in the conference room of the Home Ministry.The minister said, "From now on, there will be a big signboard about the toll rate and the chart must be visible in the market."The mobile court will also monitor the market so that the cattle marketers can't take more toll, the minister added. Read: Restriction on motorcycle driving, ride-sharing for a week during Eid The minister also talked about the prices of rawhide. He said that in the last two years we have noticed that people are not getting a fair price for rawhide. As there is no processing system of rawhide in our country the middlemen enjoy all the benefits. Those who sell rawhide get very low prices, he added.However, the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Industries would meet soon and announce the rate of rawhide."Delegations of the Ministry of Industry and Environment will visit the leather industrial area of Savar in two days. So that the factories can run effectively."

In Thakurgaon, Barakat is the talk of the town ahead of Eid-ul-Azha. Barakat is no ordinary bull, but a neutered male popular for its meat. The big bull weighs around 28 maund. Read: Samrat: The king bull of Chapainawabganj Its owner farmer Zillur Rahman  said that he reared the bull in his dairy in Dhumunia Shahpara village of Pirganj upazila of Thakurgaon along with twenty more cattles. "I spend around Tk 600 a day to feed this huge bull," he told UNB. Zillur  set up a small cattle farm in his homestead in 2011. “For more than four years, I have been rearing Barakat. The bull eats different types of foods including wheat bran, rice bran, maze, dried hay and raw grass," he said. "If any buyer from outside Rangpur division buys the bull, I will deliver it at my own cost, '' added Zillur. Read: Kalo Manik: The big bull that's ready to charge this Eid! Besides, the bull gets showers several times a day. Everyday locals throng Zillur’s dairy to catch a glimpse of the big bull. According to sources at the Thakurgan Livestock and Fisheries Department, enough sacrificial animals are available in the upazila this year. 

Ahead of Eid-ul-Azha, Samrat is hogging the limelight in Chapainawabganj’s Shibganj upazila. Samrat isn't any other ordinary bull, technically a steer, a neutered male popular for its meat – the cattle weighs around 40 maund. Zulfikar Ali, its owner, said he reared the bull in his dairy in Shahbazpur village of the district's Shibganj upazila that he started some five years ago. Everyday locals throng Zulfikar’s dairy to catch a glimpse of the big bull.  

In Barishal, Tufan is the talk of the town ahead of Eid-ul-Azha. Tufan isn't any other ordinary bull, technically a steer, a neutered male popular for its meat -- the 5ft tall cattle weighs around 25 maund. Read: Kalo Manik: The big bull that's ready to charge this Eid! Emdadul Haque Raihan, its owner, said that he reared the bull in his dairy next to his brick kiln in Ranirhat village of Bakerganj upazila of Barisal. "I spend around Tk 1,200 a day to feed this huge bull," he told UNB. Everyday locals throng Raihan’s dairy to catch a glimpse of the big bull.  Read: Sher Khan may trigger bull run in Kushtia cattle market Sohag, who takes care of Tufan, said that the big bull eats around 12kg of food daily, which includes wheat bran, rice bran, maze, dried hay and raw grass. Besides, the bull gets a bath daily. According to sources at the Barishal Livestock and Fisheries Department, “Enough sacrificial animals are available in the upazila. However, farmers are a bit worried about getting good prices.”

The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Sunday expressed concern over health protocol breaches at the cattle markets across the country where trading of sacrificial animals is underway, with Eid-ul-Azha just around the corner. "As the cattle markets are supervised by the local government and rural development ministry, we know they too are monitoring the health safety measures there. Also, both buyers and sellers should show responsibility," Dr Nazmul Islam, spokesperson for the DGHS, said at a virtual briefing. Read: Mask-wearing campaign kicks off at cattle markets in 2 cities The DGHS already issued specific suggestions to all civil surgeons in this connection, he added. "Teams led by the civil surgeons and the deputy commissioners were already monitoring the health safety rules in all districts." With Covid's Delta variant spreading fast, Bangladesh is now facing the worst scenario as the country's caseload crossed 1.1 million today. Read: Covid kills 225 more in Bangladesh as cases cross 1.1 million-mark It also recorded 225 new fatalities; the new numbers pushed its death tally to 17,894. The total caseload from Covid now stands at 1,103,989 as 11,578 fresh cases were reported in the past 24 hours, according to the DGHS.

 Two bulls belonging to a farmer have been allegedly poisoned to death in the Majlishpur area of  Kushtia's Mirpur upazila ahead of Eid-ul-Azha. Quoting local people, Golam Mostafa, officer-in-charge of Mirpur Police Station, said that Rafi Fakir, a local farmer, reared the animals so as to sell them during the Muslim festival. Read: Huge farmers flock to Kushtia cattle haat defying corona safety "Rafi had taken Tk 1.70 lakh from a person for the bulls and was scheduled to deliver the animals on Thursday. But in the morning, he found them lying dead in the cattle shed," the OC said. Read: Here comes the rush of cattle for qurbani Mirpur Upazila livestock officer Dr Sohag Rana said that legal action would be taken against those involved in the crime. "Police are investigating the deaths," he said.

Alongside the online sale of sacrificial animals, cattle markets will be set up across the country following health guidelines ahead of Eid-ul-Azha, said Local Government and Rural Development (LGRD) Minister Md Tajul Islam on Tuesday. “Eid-ul-Azha is the second biggest festival of Muslims and people’s emotion is involved in it. Last year, cattle markets were set up  amid the Covid-19 pandemic and this year the government has also decided to set up cattle markets by maintaining health protocols including social distancing,” he said. The Minister came up with the information while addressing an inter-ministerial meeting virtually over the preparations of Eid-ul-Azha. There will be one way communication in the cattle markets and the exit and entry points will be separate, said Tajul. Also read: Cattle markets open in Dhaka amid low arrival, high prices Besides, the authorities concerned will take measures to ensure that all will maintain  health guidelines at the markets , he said. All necessary tools including temperature measuring machines, hand sanitizing tools and soap must be kept at cattle markets, said the Minister. He also asked the authorities concerned to remove the waste of sacrificial animals within 24 hours. Tajul also urged people to buy cattle  online. “All necessary steps have been taken ensure buy and sale of cattle  online and necessary measures will be taken to ensure social distancing in the cattle markets. Already the government has taken steps to create awareness among people through advertisement and a guideline was issued from the Health Directorate about waste management and cattle purchase,” he said. Also read: 10 cattle markets to be set up maintaining health rules: DNCC Mayor Issuing a warning, the LGRD Minister said “No cattle market will be allowed at places that disrupt traffic movement and legal action will be taken against those who will violate the order.” He also asked the public representatives to monitor the overall situation in the cattle market. Mayors of all city corporations, senior secretaries and high official concerned of the Local Government Ministry joined the meeting.

Dhaka North City Corporation will set up 10 cattle markets in its area ahead of Eid-ul-Azha maintaining Covid health rules and government restrictions, Mayor Atiqul Islam said Sunday. The mayor said this while attending a meeting with the sacrificial animal haat monitoring committee and lease holders of the haats. Ahead of Eid-ul-Azha, one permanent and nine makeshift haats will be set up in the DNCC area, he said. Also read: Authorities disperse an illegal cattle market in Panchagarh To monitor the 10 haats, a 14-member committee has already been formed including 12 councillors, 2 veterinary officers, where ward-19 councillor Md Mofizur Rahman was made the convener, he added.  Atiqul Islam said, in every haat, 100 volunteers will be appointed from the Shakti Foundation with enough surgical masks while leaseholders will ensure hand sanitizers and necessary hygiene materials in every haat. Enough number of body temperature measuring machines will be made available at the haats, he said. Also read: Authorities permit 3 makeshift cattle markets in Chattagram, set 17 conditions Traders and buyers all will have to maintain social distance and health rules in the haat as the area will be under surveillance by CCTV cameras, said the mayor. The DNCC mayor said, sacrificial animals brought in the haats will also be available online for customers to see.