Eid cattle market sees poor sale

With only seven days remaining for Eid-ul-Azha, sales of sacrificial animals at the Gabtoli cattle market, the lone permanent cattle market in the city, are yet to get momentum.
The number of cows at the market is less compared to that of the last year with the traders charging low prices as the presence of customers is very thin, said cattle traders.
Sales are very low as very few numbers of customers came to the market till yesterday, said Liakat Bepari who brought 10 cows from Kushtia last night.
Kalam Bepari, who brought 20 cows from Kushtia, said this time they are not getting any better offer from customers as the customers are hardly seen in the market.
"If Indian cows come to Bangladesh we will have to incur a huge loss," he said.
Siddique brought 16 cows from Kushtia one week back and sold 12 of them to other cattle traders of Sylhet and Noakhali. He said he could not make any profit this time.
Traders have brought some big-size cows in the cattle market. Each of their prices is Tk 4.50 lakh.
"The price of one of them was offered Tk 2 lakh and we hope it will go up before Eid, said Mujibor, one of the traders.
Six Nepali cows were also brought to the Gabtoli cattle market and the prices of which were as high as Tk 3 lakh to 4.50 lakh.
Sobahan, a resident of Siddique Bazar who came to the market to see for himself the price of cow, said the price is little bit lower than the last year.
The price of camels, on the other hand, is higher compared to last year. A total of 10 camels were brought to the market from Rajasthan of India and one has already been sold at Tk 2.20 lakh.
The asking price of a goat weighing 30 kg is Tk 16,000. Mithu, the goat trader, has already received an offer of Tk 10,00 for the goat.
"I brought 24 goats from Bogra and sold 5 goats but the profit is almost zero," he said.
Manager of Gabtoli cattle market Sohel Hasan said they had taken different steps including appointing 600 volunteers to maintain the market.
Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) and police will also be deployed in the cattle market along with closed-circuit television (CCTV) and dog squads.
The cows have started to arrive at different makeshift cattle markets including Agargaon.
Dhaka City Corporation allowed 10 makeshift cattle markets in the city this year. These markets will be set up at Armanitola (Nayabazar), Maradia Bazar playground, Jhigatola-Hajaribag ground, Rahmatganj playground, Dhupkhola ground, Balurmath adjacent to the Brothers Union Sporting Club in Kamalapur, Banarupa Housing Project at Khilkhet, the open space adjacent to the Taltola (Khilgaon) Bus Stand, the open space at Agargaon (adjacent to the LGED Bhaban), the open space of DCC to the south of Outfall Staff Quarter.