Because cattle owners asked high prices from the start of the Eid market, buying this year was somewhat different from other years. In Mirsarai, Chattogram, most animals used to be bought five or six days before Eid, but this time buyers bought more in the last two days. Trading began in earnest on Friday (14 June), and sales on Saturday and Sunday were also striking.

On Sunday afternoon (16 June), Arif and Arman were taking a cow home from Mithachhara bazar. On the way many people called out to them, "O bhai, goru koto oiche?" — "Hey brother, how much was the cow?"

They had bought a bull for Tk 1.05 lakh. Several others were holding the cow's rope along with Arif and Arman, who are from the Bishwa Darbar area of Mirsarai Sadar union.

"We got the cow, brother, but I'm tired of telling people the price. The questions started from the moment we bought it at the market. Everyone who sees it asks, 'Brother, how much was it?' Sometimes it's annoying when people ask, but it's fun too. Really, people only ask the price like this when you buy an animal for the sacrifice," Arif said.

"The sacrifice comes only one day a year. From coming to buy the cow to everything else, everyone feels a special joy. Buying the cow, then walking it home on a rope — that is something different," Arman said.

Abul Kashem, an elderly man from the upazila's Wahedpur area, said: "There was a time when you could get a big cow for Tk 10,000. We sharers each chipped in Tk 700–800 to buy a cow. Now that's the price of a kilo of meat. The young generation won't believe it, but those days were real. If you brought home a cow worth a lakh, the neighbours came to look. Now if you buy a cow for five lakh, people think nothing of it."

Mahfuz Alam, leaseholder of Baratakia bazar, said: "The market was very lively this time. Buyers and sellers came from far and near. Sales were quite good."

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