Holy Eid-ul-Azha is a day away, and the capital's livestock markets are busy even at midnight. Buyers are coming and going, and sellers are calling out loudly. Instructions of all kinds are being announced over loudspeakers. And in the quiet hours of the night, some sellers were busy playing cards with their companions.

This was the scene at the Kamalapur and Aftabnagar livestock markets in the capital late on Thursday night (30 July). A huge market has been set up on open ground beside Kamalapur Stadium, where goats are being sold as well as cattle.

Many cattle have been decorated with shiny coloured paper and cloth, which glittered under the night lights. Sellers were tending their cattle late into the night. But many also spoke of the hardship caused by mud and water.

Water has collected in many places at the Kamalapur market. Gafur Mia, who brought eight cattle from Kushtia, said this made it hard to move around and was causing sores on the cattle's feet. "Sales are low this time and I'm not getting the price either. So I'll sell as soon as I get the real price," he told Jagonews24.

Kabir Hossain, who was collecting the market toll (hasil), told Jagonews24: "Sales rose at the end of the day today. The market is lively at night, but sales are lower than in the day. But I hope for good sales all day and night on Friday."

A buyer named Mominul, who went to Aftabnagar, complained: "It rained two days ago and water is still standing in many places. It's causing us a lot of trouble."

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