No Money Beyond the Fixed Hasil at Dhaka Cattle Markets, DMP Commissioner Says

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) commissioner Sheikh Mohammad Sajjad Ali said on Sunday, 1 June 2025, that lessees of the city's sacrificial animal markets could not collect any money beyond the government-set hasil, the fee charged on each sale. He spoke at a coordination meeting on security and traffic management at cattle markets for Eid-ul-Azha, held that morning in the conference room of DMP Headquarters, as reported by Jagonews24 and The Business Standard.

According to The Business Standard, the government-fixed hasil was 5 percent. The National Moon Sighting Committee had announced on 28 May that Eid-ul-Azha would be celebrated in Bangladesh on 7 June, so the meeting came a few days before the festival, as animals were arriving at the capital's markets.

Jagonews24 reported the commissioner as saying that no vehicle carrying animals from other parts of the country could be forced into any market, and that every cattle market had to stay within the boundaries set by the city corporation.

He said animals could not be loaded and unloaded just anywhere, and that strict legal action would be taken against anyone who disrupted traffic or forced traders to sell their animals. He also gave instructions so that no one could charge buyers extra fares for taking their animals home from the markets.

DMP Additional Police Commissioner (Traffic) Md Sarwar told the meeting that people could report any problem by calling the national emergency service 999, and advised them to keep evidence by recording video. He asked people not to misbehave with traffic police on duty, and said strict action would be taken over unwanted behaviour or against anyone who blocked a road to hold a cattle market.

Additional Police Commissioner (Crime and Operations) S N Md Nazrul Islam said the trade had to stay within each market's boundaries and that under no circumstances could a market be set up on a road. He said legal action would be taken against anyone who tried to destabilise the sacrificial animal market by spreading rumours of a shortage or creating an artificial one.

DMP Joint Police Commissioner (Operations) Mohammad Shahidullah opened the meeting by presenting the security and traffic management plan for the cattle markets. Representatives of the agencies present and of the market lessees then raised their views, suggestions and problems in an open discussion. Those attending included:

• Representatives of intelligence agencies and specialised police units
• Bangladesh Bank, the Department of Livestock Services and the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection
• Dhaka North and Dhaka South City Corporations, the Dhaka district administration, the Fire Service and Civil Defence, DPDC and DESCO
• The Institute of Leather Engineering and Technology of Dhaka University, the Bangladesh Tanners Association and the salt traders' association
• DMP officers of various ranks and representatives of the market lessees

The Daily Star, citing the Department of Livestock Services on 30 May 2025, reported that about 1.24 crore animals had been prepared for that year's Eid, including some 56 lakh fattened bulls and buffaloes. The department estimated that just over 1 crore animals would be sacrificed, leaving a surplus of about 20.68 lakh. The year before, 1.04 crore animals had been sacrificed.

Photo: Wasiul Bahar / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Sources: Jagonews24, The Business Standard, The Daily Star