There was a time when cattle bought at the market for the Eid sacrifice (cows, buffaloes, goats or camels) were walked home on foot, often over long distances. The seller from whom the cow was bought would often come along too. Brothers, sisters or children pleading to go with the family elders to fetch the cow from the market was a common sight.

As the cow was led along the road, hundreds of people nearby would ask, "How much?" Before the adults could answer, the children would grin and announce the price. Those at home would keep looking down the road, waiting for their relatives to return with the sacrificial animal.

Even after the cow reached home there were emotional scenes. Many sellers were seen leaving in tears at the farewell, and young children ran around gathering grass and bran for the cow.

Over time that scene has largely disappeared. Most buyers now consider walking a sacrificial animal home a hassle and extra effort, so they hire pickup vans or trucks to take cows or other animals home.

On Tuesday (26 May), from 5:30pm to 6:30pm, this Jago News reporter went round various roads in Lalbagh, Dhanmondi, Ramna and Tejgaon in the capital and saw buyers returning from markets with only eight to ten cows. Most of the cows cost more than Tk 1.5 lakh. In the whole hour, only one buyer was seen walking a cow home.

The reporter spoke to that buyer in front of the Bata Signal on Elephant Road. He told Jago News he had bought the cow at the Gabtoli market for Tk 1.88 lakh.

Near Shahbag, in front of the InterContinental Hotel, a young man was taking two cows in a pickup van. He told Jago News he had bought the two for Tk 3.7 lakh.

In front of Bangabazar, a buyer with two cows on another pickup van said one had cost Tk 1.5 lakh and the other Tk 1.6 lakh.

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