A total of 4,407 cattle markets will be held across the country for Eid-ul-Azha this year, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said. He announced this after an Eid-ul-Azha preparatory meeting at the Secretariat on Tuesday, 28 May.

"Eid-ul-Azha is likely to fall on 17 June. Every year we are able to keep people safe during Eid, pujas and national days, and today's meeting was held so that the festivals take place in a joyful atmosphere in which everyone can take part," the minister said.

On cattle markets, he said: "According to the information we have, a total of 4,407 cattle markets will be held across the country, including city corporations and metropolitan districts. The number may rise." A temporary police camp will be set up at every market, with watchtowers, counterfeit note detection machines and vets. Along with police and RAB, plain-clothes intelligence officers will be at the markets.

"As you know, it is Eid-ul-Azha, so there will be a lot of vehicles carrying animals. They will be instructed always to use the left lane and not to come into the middle of the road or move to the right," he said.

"Vehicles carrying animals must display their destination, or the name of the market they are going to, on the front. The aim is to stop anyone forcibly unloading animals on the way and to prevent extortion. They cannot unload animals at markets on the road or stop on the road. There are designated places for them, and they will unload the animals there," the minister said.

Setting out the meeting's decisions, the home minister said highway police and district police will work together to ease traffic congestion on roads, highways and in towns during the Eid journey. Drones were used last time to ease congestion at key places and will be used again this year. More CCTV cameras on highways and other modern technology are gradually being added to tackle congestion.

He said the causes of congestion in jam-prone areas will be identified through watchtowers and action taken. To prevent accidents, police will use speed guns to control speeding on highways, and legal action will be taken immediately against speeding vehicles.

On fares for the Eid journey, the home minister said they will stay as they were last Eid and will not be raised. Representatives of owners and transport workers have said so, he said.

All transport other than vehicles carrying perishable goods and passengers will be suspended for three days before and three days after Eid-ul-Azha, the minister said. Garment workers must be paid their full May wages before Eid, and it has been decided that bonuses will be paid before the Eid holiday. The presidents of BGMEA and BKMEA all agreed, he said.

"Various organisations will arrange holidays in phases, in line with the government holidays, so that there are no traffic jams. Security measures will be taken in industrial areas. Action will be taken against those who create or try to create unrest through baseless rumours and provocation," he said.

There will be security at the National Eidgah, the Sholakia ground and other large and important Eid congregations across the country. Asaduzzaman said the eastern and western zones of Bangladesh Railway will run special cattle trains to carry animals.

The home minister also said no bulkheads, passenger speedboats or small launches will be allowed to run at night.

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