Space crunch for animals dampens Eid festivities for many

The majority of the tenants living in Dhaka city do not have space to house their sacrificial animals before Eid

Khalil Mahmud, a resident of Mohammadpur, faces a space issue every year after buying his sacrificial animal ahead of Eid-ul-Azha. As flat owners keep their cattle in the parking lot, Khalil, a tenant, must follow the rules and find another place for his animal. Since the building is next to the road, he can not keep them tied outside either.

Last year, he had to keep his animal at a relative's house after facing similar challenges.

"I am going to spend Eid in my hometown this year. I will sacrifice the animal there to avoid all the suffering," said Khalil.

A resident of Dhanmondi's Modhubazar, Abul Hasnat faces a similar issue before Eid every year.

"I had a lot of trouble finding a space to keep and sacrifice my cow due to insufficient spacing in the building. If you keep the cow outside, you have to hire a caretaker. It also adds to my worries as I am concerned about my cattle getting stolen. Last year, the cow was hurt after being hit by a rickshaw," said Abul.

Even landlords face a similar dilemma due to a lack of space in the building. Some even opt for an unconventional method by keeping their animals on the rooftop or the balcony.

"We have parking space in the building, but the cars are parked there. So there is no place to keep the animals," said Fauzia Akhter, a flat owner in the capital's Dhanmondi.

Due to space constraints, many people are keeping their animals on the sidewalks.

Many residents of Mohammadpur have also refrained from buying any cattle this year due to a lack of space in the neighbourhood.

Razia Sultana, a flat owner in Mohammadpur, bought a cow worth Tk 100,000 four days before Eid. Since there is no space inside the building to keep the cattle, she has tied the cow outside the entryway to her house.

A youth named Md Fahim told bdnews24.com: "There is no space in the parking lot. Arrangements have only been made for the two flat owners who will keep their cattle here."

When asked whether this would hinder vehicles from moving in and out of the building, he said: "Where else will we find space? All the houses in the capital are like this. There is no space to keep the cattle and take care of them until Eid."

Two cows were also kept on the sidewalk in Dhaka's Bashbari area.

The building's doorman, Md Delwar, told bdnews24.com: "The owner bought a cow four days ago. With no space inside, they had to keep the cattle outside the gate. Neighbours have also tied their cows to the entrance on the sidewalk. I look after both sets of cattle since there's no one else to care for them. At night, I move them indoors to prevent theft."

Masum Malek, a homeowner in Shekhertek, has kept three of his cows on the footpath ahead of Eid.

"There is no traffic on this road, so it is not an issue. We have hired someone to take care of the cows 24/7," he told bdnews24.com.

Meanwhile, a cow was seen on the footpath near Shekhertek 12 with no one around to tend to it. A nearby shopkeeper expressed concerns about the animal being hit by a vehicle at any time.

BUYING CATTLE FROM FARMS HAS ITS BENEFITS

The tradition of going to the cattle market and bargaining with sellers before buying a sacrificial animal ahead of Eid-al-Azha is an old one.

However, in the last couple of years, many farms have been established in the capital to meet the demand of buyers before Eid.

Shahadat Hossain, the owner of Shahadat Agro Max Range Farm, told bdnews24.com: "Advance booking for cattle began three months ago. We deliver the animals to buyers the night before Eid. However, the system of keeping cows on lease has not yet been introduced in our country. Besides, such a system requires a lot of space, which farm owners do not have."

Mostafiz Mamun, a resident of Hatirjheel, bought a cow from Mohammadpur's Basila at least ten days before Eid for Tk 92,000.

According to his agreement with the seller, the farmer will bear the cost of taking care of the cow until the day of delivery.

"The price would have been cheaper had I bought it from the cattle market. But then, I would not have gotten the advantage of not having to pay for any additional costs. I didn't have to pay to transport the animal either," said Mamun.

"However, many people want to keep the animals with them before Eid day due to religious reasons. The children also get excited to see the cattle," he added.

IS SOCIAL MANAGEMENT THE SOLUTION?

Most people do not think about the lack of space to keep their sacrificial animals since Eid-ul-Azha comes once a year.

However, in a planned city, it is crucial to have rules and regulations for everything, says Adil Muhammad Khan, an urban planner and president of the Bangladesh Institute of Planners or BIP.

According to Adil, multi-faceted community-based management can be an excellent solution to the insufficient spacing to keep animals.

"The crisis could be averted if there were designated spaces in the neighbourhoods. The spaces could also be used to take shelter during natural disasters," said Adil.

"But such a plan will never be accepted by authorities," he added.

Several years ago, Dhaka North City Corporation tried to offer specific sites where people could sacrifice their animals.

Initiatives were also taken to survey several areas suitable for slaughtering, cutting, and transporting the meat.

However, the initiative was not popular among the public.

Adil told bdnews24.com, "Since there is no pre-planning, the problem cannot be solved instantly. If the cattle are kept on the road, Ward Councillors and the City Corporation should set guidelines and supervise the situation."

The urban planner also suggested creating makeshift sheds for sacrificial animals throughout the city. However, he believes the plan may fail if it is not properly publicised.