A small makeshift market sprang up on Rampura bridge in the capital from the afternoon of Eid day. While Qurbani meat had reached many homes, this market selling trimmed meat (chhat) became a lifeline for some low-income people.

On Thursday (28 May) afternoon several traders were selling trimmed meat on plastic sheets spread on the bridge. There was meat still on the bone, head meat, fatty cuts and some relatively good-quality meat, all in small portions. Buyers bargained and bought half a kilo, a kilo or more, according to what they could afford.

Traders were asking Tk 350 to 400 a kg, but were selling for somewhat less after requests and bargaining. They said the meat had been collected from various sources after Qurbani and cleaned before sale.

Most of the meat was brought by butchers, they said: trimmings the butchers had gathered while cutting Qurbani cattle in different places. There is some good meat among the trimmings, and it is all cut and mixed together for sale.

Rickshaw puller Minarul Islam said: "Beef is very expensive. I can't afford to buy good meat, so I came here and bought two kilos. The children can eat a little meat on Eid day; that's my comfort. The sellers were asking Tk 400 a kilo. After bargaining I bought two kilos for Tk 550."

Another rickshaw puller, Md Alam, said he had lived in Dhaka with his family for four years. "What I earn isn't enough to give Qurbani, and at market prices it's hard even to buy meat. So I came here. With the money for one kilo at the market you can buy three or four kilos here." He first bought meat here last year and got good meat, so he came again. If you choose carefully you can get good meat, he said, though sellers were asking more this time; after bargaining it could be bought a little cheaper.

Garment worker Aleya Begum, who came with her young daughter, said: "On Eid day everyone eats good meat, but people like us can't. A kilo of good meat at the market costs over Tk 800. We can't buy meat at that price, so I came here to buy it cheaper. I bought two kilos for Tk 600, and we can eat it for a few days."

She said: "We can't give Qurbani. And we can't go from house to house asking for meat. In Dhaka those who give Qurbani distribute very little door to door. Most give meat to the people standing in front of their houses. We can't do that, so I'm buying what trimmed meat I can."

Seller Ariful said: "I got work cutting four cows. I've brought some of the trimmings and good meat from them to sell here. The people whose cows I cut gave me some good meat. I cut it all together and sell it. Mostly low-income people, day labourers and rickshaw pullers buy from us."

He said: "Not everyone can buy good meat at once, so we sell good and trimmed meat mixed. Even the trimmings are good meat, and it tastes very good. Some buy half a kilo, some a kilo, and some three or four kilos."

Another seller, Md Kalam, said: "Our meat isn't only trimmings; there is head meat, fat and some good cuts too. Everyone takes as much as they can afford. I cut two cows myself, and part of their meat is here. I also bought some from two other people. It's all mixed together for sale."

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