Trading in Eid cattle markets gets momentum

Bibirhat cattle market in the port city. PHOTO: STAR

The cattle started flooding the markets since January 15.

In absence of boisterousness of extortionists so far, the price of sacrificial animals is comparatively cheap this year.

At the same time, presence of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) and police at different cattle markets and transaction points makes both the buyers and traders feel a sense of security and relief.

Apart from the two major and permanent ones at Sagorika and Bibirhat, five temporary cattle markets were set up at the Karnaphuli Shah Amanat Bridge area, Kamal Mohazan hat, Steel Mills Bazar, Kathgarh Bazar and Saltgola Rail crossing in the city under Chittagong City Corporation (CCC).

Sagorika cattle market that usually sits on Monday and Wednesday will continue till the night before the Eid while Bibirhat will sit on its scheduled weekdays of Saturday and Tuesday, sources said.

CCC leased out seven cattle markets, including the permanent two, on January 13 for Tk 3.33 crore.

Of them, Sagorika and Bibirhat were leased out for Tk 1 crore and 72.57 lakh and Tk 1 crore 41.27 lakh respectively to continue throughout the year.

Besides, several cattle markets are also sitting at different points of Halishahar BDR Camp area, Hathazari Nandirhat and Chowdhurirhat under private management.

A huge number of sacrificial animals already flooded the Sagorika and Bibirhat cattle markets.

The traders said that supply of cattle, both locally reared and imported, was available and the price was also reasonable.

"We expect a good profit this year as we did not have to pay any extortion or face attack by the criminals on the way to the markets in the city so far," said Jasim Uddin. He brought 14 cattle to Bibirhat market from Keranirhat at Satkania, some 40kms off the city.

Gias Uddin, a representative and hasil collector of Bibirhat, said that sacrificial animals, particularly bulls, were coming in plenty from southern districts of the country and neighbouring India.

The prices of animals are reasonable and comparatively better till now, he said. The market leasees collect 4 per cent against the price of every sold out sacrificial animal as hasil, he added.

The cattle market sources said that a few of the bulls also came from Nepal and Myanmar while camels arrived from Rajesthan in India, Saudi Arabia, Iran and other Middle East countries.

They expect that around 1.50 lakh cattle will be sold in the markets.

There were also a good supply of goats in the cattle markets, including the main goat market at Kadamtali Dhanialapara in the city.

With Chittagong people usually giving a special attention and magnitude to Eid-ul Azha, the cattle markets here got momentum a bit earlier and offered a brisk business for the cattle traders.

The traders from different parts of the country are duly paid back when they get a bit higher price here in the port city.

The buyers, however, said they require to be careful and go for a good bargaining offering at best 80 per cent of the asked price unless they wanted to be overplayed by the traders.

Meanwhile, to check extortion, forceful realisation of hasil and maintain law and order, a huge contingent of Rab was deployed in and around the cattle markets since January 16 in addition to police.

Rab sources said that as many as 20 teams of the elite force in official and plain clothes, would be in and around the cattle markets in the city while one team would be patrolling in the rural areas.

Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) also beefed up security measures with deployment of forces at every cattle market and important city points to ensure safety of the traders and the buyers. CMP was also conducting mobile courts since January 10 in the city, sources said.