Covid has made people many times more dependent on technology, and they are turning to online shopping more than before. Keeping pace with this, Qurbani animals can again be bought online this year through the "Digital Haat", as in the past few years, and animals bought online can be returned if the buyer is not satisfied. Sales are somewhat lower than last year, and those involved are giving more weight to preventing fraud in online livestock trade.

The government-backed platform for buying Qurbani cattle online is Digital Haat (digitalhatt.gov.bd). Following Commerce Ministry instructions, this year's haat is being run by Dhaka North City Corporation, the e-Commerce Association of Bangladesh (e-CAB) and the Bangladesh Dairy Farmers Association (BDFA), with technical support from a2i's online platform Ekshop. The Digital Haat opened on Sunday, 3 July.

Demand for Qurbani animals this Eid-ul-Azha is 97.75 lakh, and 1,21,24,389 animals have been prepared to meet it, a surplus of 23,49,389 over demand. Last year 1.19 crore animals were prepared, of which about 91 lakh were sacrificed, and 3.75 lakh were sold online. Those involved have not yet been able to determine how many animals have been traded online this year, but they believe fewer are selling online than last year.

Zinat Sultana, deputy director of the Department of Livestock Services, told Jago News that many animals were traded online last time, but this year will not be as good, because people can now go to the markets in person. Figures for online sales would be available the next day, she said.

Halim Shah of Khilgaon bought a cow for Tk 72,000 from an online market. "My son chose the cow online. Then I saw it myself and liked it, so I ordered it. I'm happy with the delivery. I had heard that online shopping involves fraud, that what is shown isn't what's delivered. But I got exactly what I saw, and on time," he said.

Although Halim Shah was not cheated, many others lack the confidence to buy animals online. Frauds by some online platforms such as Evaly have eroded public trust in e-commerce somewhat, and those involved see this as one reason for the fall in online purchases.

Dr Monjur Mohammad Shahjada, director general of the Department of Livestock Services, told Jago News that a meeting was held on 23 June under the leadership of the livestock minister, with a representative of the ICT Division attached. That representative made clear that there is no scope for fraud in online livestock trade this year, because payment will be made only after the buyer receives the animal. "They have assured us of this. With advancing technology, Smart Bangladesh has been achieved. At first, not knowing many things causes confusion, but these will be corrected over time. As the ICT ministry is working on it, we hope there will be no complications," he said.

So that transactions also run smoothly for people who go to markets instead, he said digital money transfer has been arranged at six DNCC markets and at three markets in Kushtia, Chuadanga and Rajshahi. There are ATM booths where buyers can withdraw money and pay sellers, and sellers can deposit their money and get a slip allowing them to withdraw it anywhere in the country. Bangladesh Bank is monitoring the whole process, he said.

Asif Ahnaf, finance secretary of e-CAB, told Jago News that e-commerce is not a separate sector but the digitalisation of every kind of business, with every business and its transactions automatically going digital. Since the transaction happens online rather than face to face, the customer will of course pay in advance, which is the global e-commerce model. Naturally, given the country's situation, there is always scope for fraud, so customer awareness comes first.

He said paying hastily for a tempting offer on a platform without checking carries risk. The measure taken to prevent this is the Digital Business ID: buyers should check whether a platform has one, so that there is accountability if a problem arises.

Fisheries and Livestock Minister S M Rezaul Karim said 3.75 lakh animals were sold online last year, when many people were not keen on Qurbani because of Covid. This year more animals are expected to sell. The option to return animals bought online will continue, so that it benefits everyone and no one is cheated in any way. A virtual calculator has been added to the online platform this year, which he said will free buyers and sellers from unwanted problems and ease their worries.

He said it is essential that animals uploaded online come with details of ownership, address, the owner's mobile number, the animal's age, weight and photos. A health certificate must be obtained for uploaded animals, with the ministry's veterinary surgeons providing the service, so that diseased animals and those unfit for Qurbani can be identified. The Department of Livestock Services will help connect farmers to online platforms, and the Dairy Farmers Association must take initiatives in coordination with the e-Commerce Association.

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