Cattle markets in Brahmanbaria have come alive for Eid-ul-Azha, with traders and farmers bringing the animals they have raised. The market in the district's Nabinagar upazila is also bustling with buyers and sellers, and animals with all sorts of names are being brought in.

For the past few days, however, two bulls named 'Zayed Khan' and 'Shakib Khan' have been at the centre of buyers' and sellers' interest. The two bulls, named after two heroes of Dhaka films, have been brought for sale to the Ahammadpur cattle market in Nabinagar upazila.

Farmer Yunus Mia of Hajipur village in Laurfatehpur union of the upazila has brought six cattle to the market, and the two bulls named 'Shakib Khan' and 'Zayed Khan' are the centre of attention.

Shakib Khan weighs about 700 kg (17.5 maunds) and Zayed Khan more than 600 kg (15 maunds). Tk 3.5 lakh is being asked for Shakib Khan and Tk 3 lakh for Zayed Khan. By Monday afternoon (4 July), the highest offer for Shakib Khan was Tk 2 lakh 20 thousand and for Zayed Khan Tk 1 lakh 80 thousand.

Cattle trader Yunus Mia said: "I raised 22 bulls ahead of the coming Qurbani Eid. We gave the big bulls different names to make them attractive to buyers. Two bulls have been named after two heroes of Dhaka films, Shakib Khan and Zayed Khan. I will sell as soon as the expected price comes."

Demand for sacrificial animals in Brahmanbaria district this year is more than 1 lakh 70 thousand. The district administration has approved 75 cattle markets for the Qurbani Eid, and those involved expect animals worth at least Tk 700 crore to be traded at them.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.