Bangladesh prepares 12.4mn cattle for Qurbani sacrifices

There will be no need to import animals from other countries for Eid-ul-Azha, says the livestock advisor

Like last year, Bangladesh has a sufficient stock of animals for Eid-ul-Azha sacrifices, says Fisheries and Livestock Advisor Farida Akhter.

“This time too, there will be no need to import animals from other countries for sacrifices,” she said after an inter-ministerial meeting on the topic at the Secretariat on Sunday.

“There is no need to import cattle this year. The cattle produced by our domestic farmers is sufficient. This year, a total of 12.47 million cattle, including 5.6 million cows and buffaloes, 6.83 goats and sheep, and 5,512 animals of other species are expected to be available. There is a possibility of a surplus of about 2.06 million cattle this year.”

She said law-enforcing agencies such as the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and police, the district administrations, and district livestock departments will work together to prevent the hijacking of trucks carrying sacrificial animals and to ensure smooth transport of the animals.

"In this case, a control room (hotline: 16358) will be active under the livestock department."

She added that preparations are under way to set up veterinary medical team camps at each market by determining a suitable and specific place at the initiative of the city corporation or municipality and to provide the necessary logistical support during the performance of their duties.

There will be 20 veterinary medical teams for the primary treatment of animals at 19 animal markets under the Dhaka North and South City Corporations. There will be five central monitoring teams to observe the activities of the veterinary medical teams and two specialist medical teams in Dhaka North City Corporation and Dhaka South City Corporation.

In addition, 15,369 professional and 21,208 non-professional butchers have been trained in skinning and preserving sacrificial animals for hygienic cattle sacrifices.

According to the decision taken at the inter-ministerial meeting, law-enforcing agencies such as the BGB, police, Coast Guard, and the district administration and district livestock department will work together to stop the smuggling of cattle in districts near the border. Law-enforcing agencies have been instructed to take stringent legal measures over this.

Special trains will be arranged for the supply of sacrificial animals, with the livestock advisor adding that special trains will be arranged from north Bangladesh to Chattogram via Dhaka.