High Court orders policy to prevent cow fattening

The High Court has ordered the formation of an expert panel to make a policy to prevent the fattening of livestock with harmful chemicals.

A vacation bench of Justice Sheikh Hasan Arif and Justice Mohammad Ullah issued the rule on Monday after hearing a petition.

The committee must be formed within eight weeks comprising doctors, nutritionists, veterinarians and high-level government officials.

The home, health, commerce and food secretaries will have to carry out the order and file a report to the court within eight weeks.

The court also issued a rule asking why the inaction of authorities in banning the drugs used to fatten animals should not be declared illegal.

The home secretary, food secretary, commerce secretary, fisheries secretary, RAB director general, Dhaka City police commissioner and the head of the department of livestock are to answer to the rule within six weeks.

Lawyer Manzil Murshid filed the petition for rights group Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh on July 22.

Cattle and other slaughter animals fattened artificially are sold throughout the year, but the alarming practice increases during Eid-ul-Azha.

Allegedly, farmers use steroids such as Dexamethasone, Betamethasone and Periactine to fatten cows in hopes of greater profits.

Doctors and experts say the consumption of such meat can cause fluid build-up in lungs and liver, weaken the kidney and harm the heart.

The petition also sought veterinarians at cattle markets to test for harmful ingredients in meat.

But the government has already implemented this measure.

As per this decision taken on Sept 28, medical teams including vets will be deployed at all Eid cattle markets under the city corporation.