Despite the government’s claim of meeting the demand of sacrificial animals for Eid-ul-Azha with local livestock, Indian cows have been entered the cattle markets in Dhaka.
Indian cattle are seen being sold at several markets in the capital including Aftabnagar, Kamlapur, Shanir Akhara, and Konapara.
The home ministry approved several routes near Benapole to import cattle from India, which a source at Customs said otherwise.
“India doesn’t export cattle to Bangladesh legally. But, large numbers of cattle enter Bangladesh ahead of Eid-ul-Azha every year, forcing the authorities to open several corridors in Sylhet in 2017,” said the source.
Fisheries and Livestock Minister Narayan Chandra Chanda said, “Little number of cattle is being imported from India, which is unlikely to affect the local cattle owners.
However, sources at the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) confirmed that cows are being legally imported through the designated border ‘corridors’.
Cattle trader Motaleb Hossain of Kushtia, who brought local cattle along with Indian ones, told Bangla Tribune that he had the govt clearance to do so.
Hossain was seen selling cows at the city’s Aftabnagr cattle market.
The number of sacrificial cattle fell this year compared to the previous year. In 2018, the total number is 4.457 million, which was 4.529 million in 2017.
Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock said that total number of sacrificial animals stands at 11.588 million with cattle: 4.457 million and goats and lamb: 7.1 million. There are also 31,000 camel and Arabian sheep.
Despite the slight fall in number, there won’t be a scarcity of sacrificial beasts, feel relevant quarters.
Around half million farms will supply animals this year and since 11.5 million animals are already in the country, importing from India or Myanmar won’t be necessary.
Bangladesh is self-sufficient now in providing sacrificial animals, says a ministry of fisheries and livestock source.
Earlier Livestock Minister Narayan Chandra Chanda told Bangla Tribune said: “we won’t have to import animals from India or Myanmar; there won’t be any crisis.”