With barely three-four days left for Eid-ul-Azha, cattle farmer Azizul Haque is a bit worried. The reason -- he has not been able to fatten naturally the four bulls he has been rearing since last October. Like him, many small-time farmers in Bangladesh have been struggling to feed their cattle properly since March 2022 as retail inflation has taken a toll on fodder. And most of them are yet to fix a good asking price for the sacrificial animals. These farmers say that the prices of staple cattle feeds such as wheat bran, rice bran, oil cake, maize, Indian peas and molasses have all increased two to three-fold of late. Read: Huge crowd at Chuadanga cattle markets; Sales still low "I may not be able to cash on the growing demand for meat this Eid. This is because I could not spend much on fodder to naturally fatten my bulls ahead of Eid. Retail inflation is really pinching," says Azizul. Take for instance, maize. Its price has doubled in the past one year -- from Tk 17-18 per kg in 2021 to Tk 33-34 per kg this year. Similarly, wheat bran now costs Tk 60 a kg, up by 100% from last year's price. Khail (oil cake) was available for Tk 32 a kg and Indian peas for Tk 34-36 per kg in 2021. This year, Khail is being sold at Tk 50 per kg and Indian pea at Tk 55-60 per kg.

Bangladesh Bank (BB) has instructed banks to keep open their  branches and sub-branches in nearby areas of cattle markets in Dhaka north and south city corporations on Friday and Saturday. The central bank set banking hours in these areas from 10.00 am to 8.00 pm on July 8 and 9 (Friday & Saturday) to facilitate the sacrificial animals’ traders. The Banking Regulations and Policy Department (BRPD) of BB on Tuesday issued a circular in this regard and sent to the top executives of all the scheduled banks to take necessary measures. Read: BB re-fixes mobile financial service money transaction limit The circular stated that cattle traders are arriving in the capital from different parts of the country and banks have to arrange secured transfers of their money through banking service. The BB also instructed banks to set bank booths at the cattle markets to secure transactions of money. Banks are asked to maintain Covid-19 health guidelines at  the bank booths as infections are increasing, the circular stated.

With only five days remaining for Eid-ul-Azha, sales of sacrificial animals at Chuadanga cattle markets are yet to gain momentum. Buyers, traders and middlemen from different parts of the country and neighboring districts are thronging different cattle markets of the town and upazilas but the sellers are yet to see expected number of buyers. Read: No cattle market on roads and highways: Minister The three largest makeshift  markets of sacrificial animals in the district are Shialmari cattle market in Jibonnagar upazila, Dugdugi of Damurhuda upazila and Alamdanga cattle market. During a recent visit the UNB correspondent found  huge crowd at Shialmari cattle market that triggered  traffic jam on Jibonnagar-Chuadanga regional highway in front of the market. Some policemen were seen working to reduce traffic congestion. Md Chanchal, who is in-charge of hat management, said people are being continuously asked to comply with hygiene rules to prevent spread of Covid but most of them are ignoring the instruction.

No one without a mask will be allowed to enter the cattle markets to be set up ahead of Eid-ul-Azha across the country, said Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan on Tuesday. This year, a total of 4,407 eid cattle markets will be set up  where everyone must follow Covid health guidelines, he said while talking to reporters after a meeting over law and order situation ahead of the religious festival. Ten cattle markets will be set up in Dhaka North City Corporation while 12 in Dhaka South city Corporation, said Asaduzzaman. Read: Special cattle train on C'ganj-Dhaka route ahead of Eid Additional law enforcement force will be deployed in the cattle markets to provide security to traders and buyers, he said. The agencies will also help traders safe transfer of their cash. Noting that there will be no cattle markets on the roads and highways, Asaduzzaman said no cattle-laden vehicles can be taken to any market against the traders' will. Referring to the rawhides of sacrificial animals, the minister said strict surveillance will be enforced to prevent its smuggling abroad. The commerce Ministry will fix the price of rawhides.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Bangladesh Scouts have teamed up to launch a Covid-19 awareness campaign at the major cattle markets in the country. Under the campaign, Rover Scouts dressed in PPE will distribute masks among the buyers flocking to markets, with Eid-ul-Azha just around the corner. The two-day campaign is being carried out targeting the crunch time starting Monday. The campaign will be carried out at Gabtoli, Aftabnagar and Dhupkhola cattle markets in Dhaka and two major markets of every division. Booths will also be set up at the markets from where Covid-19 precautionary messaging will be broadcast using loud hailers. "The government has lifted the lockdown so people can celebrate the festival." Bangladesh Scouts President Md Abul Kalam Azad said. "However, the pandemic is hard to fight if people are not careful about their safety." Echoing him, UNDP Resident Representative Sudipto Mukerjee said, "Only wearing masks properly, maintaining sufficient physical distance and practising frequent hand sanitisation, and all of that done together will help us enjoy Eid responsibly while keeping ourselves and everyone else safe. We certainly owe this to ourselves and everyone else."

Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Atiqul Islam on Saturday said strict legal action would be taken if the hygiene rules and regulations were not followed properly at the sacrificial animal markets. The mayor issued the warning while addressing a meeting of the monitoring team at Gulshan Nagar Bhaban. The 15-member team was formed to scrutinize whether lease conditions for nine cattle markets, including the permanent one, were followed properly. The cattle hats have been set up on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha. Also read: Mask-wearing campaign kicks off at cattle markets in 2 cities The team, headed by Councilor of Ward No-19  Md. Mofizur Rahman, comprises 13 Ward councillors and two veterinary officers. The cattle hats have been set up on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha. He said each animal market under Dhaka North City Corporation has a mobile court led by one Executive Magistrate in charge of DNCC to ensure compliance with the health rules and regulations  He said Shakti Foundation has provided 200 trained volunteers, 200 vests and a sufficient number of masks at each market. In addition, the leaseholders have provided hand sanitizers and other health care items in all the cattle markets. Also read: 10 cattle markets to be set up maintaining health rules: DNCC Mayor The mayor said that in order to maintain proper social distance in the cattle markets, both buyers and sellers have to wear masks and use hand sanitizers. He said that "DNCC Digital Hat-2021" has been organized to prevent the spread of coronavirus by avoiding physical presence at the cattle markets. Among others, DNCC Executive Officer Md Selim Reza and Deputy Executive Director of Shakti Foundation Imran Ahmed were present at the meeting.

Amid the Covid-induced lockdown, traders from across the country have started arriving in the capital’s limited cattle markets bringing with them the sacrificial animals they hope to sell ahead of the Eid-ul-Azha festival. During visits to several markets in the city, the UNB correspondent found the number of cattle still low with traders asking high prices. Read:10 cattle markets to be set up maintaining health rules: DNCC Mayor Haat lease-holders, however, hoped the arrival of cattle will gain momentum within the next few days as the Eid festival is still more than a week away. Shah Alam, leaseholder of Shanir Akhra and Dania College field cattle market, said they have completed preparations so that everyone follows health guidelines to prevent coronavirus infections.

Cattle markets in Kurigram border area are seeing increased trade of illegally imported cows and buffaloes from India. These cattle are being smuggled in via the transboundary rivers shared by the two nations taking advantage of floods.

Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Mayor Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh on Monday said mobile court drives will be conducted to ensure proper maintenance of health guidelines at the cattle markets ahead of Eid-ul-Azha.