Taking Qurbani Animals to Market: Care Before, During and After the Trip

On 21 May 2026, a week before Eid-ul-Azha, Jagonews24 published a practical guide for farmers and traders on what to do before, during and after taking sacrificial animals to the cattle markets. Three days earlier, on 18 May, the National Moon Sighting Committee had announced that the Zilhaj moon had been sighted and that Eid-ul-Azha would be celebrated in Bangladesh on Thursday, 28 May 2026, so the busiest trading days were close. The guide covered choosing a market, checking an animal's health, feeding before the journey, the vehicle, loading, rest and water on the road, the papers to carry, brokers, care at the market and harmful fattening injections.

The report described Qurbani as not only a religious festival but also a reflection of the rural economy and of a year's work by farmers, who raise cattle, goats and buffalo for the season and bring them to the markets in truckloads before Eid. It listed the problems of long journeys: accidents, extreme heat, traffic jams, shortages of feed and water, and sickness. Animals brought in the hope of a good price often lose weight, fall ill or even die for lack of proper transport, it said, so moving a sacrificial animal has to be a planned, careful and responsible process that spares the animal suffering and protects the farmer from loss.

At a briefing at the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock on Sunday, 3 May 2026, the fisheries and livestock minister said 1,23,33,840 animals were fit for sacrifice that year, against an estimated demand of 1,01,06,334, leaving a surplus of about 22 lakh 27 thousand. According to Dhaka Times' report of the briefing, the total included more than 56 lakh 95 thousand cattle and buffalo, 66 lakh 32 thousand 307 goats and sheep, and 5,655 other animals such as camels and dumbas. The minister said there would be no shortage of sacrificial animals.

The same briefing, as reported by The Business Standard's Bangla edition, said more than 3,600 cattle markets would be held across the country, 27 of them in the capital: 16 under Dhaka North City Corporation and 11 under Dhaka South City Corporation. Markets would be held only at designated sites, no markets would be set up in border areas, and 20 veterinary medical teams would work round the clock at the markets. The minister also said the government would take a strict stance against extortion from trucks carrying animals, that law enforcers would be on duty at the markets, in plain clothes where needed, and that no khajna or hasil (market levy) would be charged on animals sold online.

District figures showed the same surplus. On 17 May, bdnews24 reported that about 20 lakh 23 thousand animals had been prepared in the eight districts of Rangpur division, with more than 5 lakh 56 thousand expected to remain after local demand was met. The division had about 21,000 farmers, and Rangpur district alone about 4,000 registered farms. Dinajpur had the most animals in the division, 4,26,523 against a demand of 2,73,262. In the coastal district of Patuakhali, BSS reported on 5 May, the district livestock office counted 1,37,918 animals ready for Qurbani against a demand of 1,22,633.

These animals come from a large national herd. The Department of Livestock Services (DLS) publication 'Livestock Economy at a Glance (2023-2024)', based on Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics figures, put the country's cattle at 250.13 lakh, goats at 271.17 lakh, sheep at 39.03 lakh and buffalo at 15.24 lakh in 2023-24. In that year, according to the provisional figures, livestock contributed 1.80 per cent of gross domestic product at constant prices and 16.33 per cent of agricultural GDP, and the sector gave direct employment to 20 per cent of people and partial employment to 50 per cent. Meat production was 92.25 lakh metric tonnes against an estimated demand of 76.21 lakh tonnes.

The guide's first advice was to choose the market with care. Not every market pays the same price: some want big cattle, while at others medium-sized cattle sell faster. Farmers were advised to talk to traders or wholesalers they know, and to get an idea of demand from Facebook groups, phone calls or online animal markets. The ministry's announcement that no levy would be charged on online sales in 2026 gave farmers who sell online one more option alongside the physical markets, which were to be held only at the designated sites.

For the journey itself, the report listed the papers to keep at hand: the farm's identity papers, purchase receipts, a veterinary health certificate, a copy of the national identity card and the transport papers. Police or officials ask to see documents at many checkpoints, it said, and having them ready means less harassment on the way.

The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH, formerly OIE), whose Terrestrial Animal Health Code sets the international standard for moving animals by land, recommends that the papers travelling with a consignment record the date, time and place of loading and unloading, veterinary certification where it is required, identification of the animals, the rest, feed and water they had before the journey, the stocking density of each load and a journey log of inspections and events. Where a veterinary certificate is required, the Code says it should cover the animals' fitness to travel, their identification and their health status, including tests, treatments and vaccinations. The Code also says that when certifying, the veterinarian should tell the handler or driver of anything that affects the animals' fitness for that particular journey.

Before setting out, the guide said, farmers should check whether an animal has a fever, sores in the mouth or excessive drooling, swollen legs, difficulty breathing or loss of appetite. A sick animal cannot bear a long journey and may even die on the way, and one sick animal can infect the others on the same truck. The report advised consulting a nearby veterinarian before the trip; for treatment and any medicine, the animal's own vet or the upazila livestock office is the place to go.

Several of these signs match those WOAH lists for foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), which affects cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and other cloven-hoofed animals: blisters on the nose, tongue or lips, fever, depression, heavy salivation and loss of appetite, with ruptured blisters causing severe lameness and reluctance to move or eat. WOAH says the disease spreads through infected animals newly brought into a herd and through contaminated animal transport vehicles, among other routes. Deaths are generally low in adult animals, at 1 to 5 per cent, but 20 per cent or higher in young calves, lambs and piglets, and the disease causes severe production losses.

WOAH's transport chapter says each animal should be inspected by a veterinarian or an animal handler for fitness to travel, that an animal whose fitness is in doubt should be examined by a veterinarian, and that animals found unfit should not be loaded except to be taken for veterinary treatment. The Code lists as unfit:

• animals that are sick, injured, weak, disabled or fatigued;
• animals unable to stand unaided and bear weight on each leg;
• animals blind in both eyes, or that cannot be moved without further suffering;
• pregnant animals that would be in the final 10 per cent of their gestation at the planned time of unloading, and females that gave birth within the previous 48 hours;
• animals whose body condition would lead to poor welfare in the expected weather.

It adds that large or obese animals, very young or old ones, excitable or aggressive ones and animals with little contact with people are at particular risk during transport and need extra attention. The Food and Agriculture Organization's 2001 'Guidelines for humane handling, transport and slaughter of livestock' make the same point for heavy stall-fed animals: diseased, injured, emaciated or heavily pregnant animals should not be transported, and unfit, heavy, pen-fed animals should not travel far because they cannot stand up to the rigours of transport.

Bangladesh's own law covers the market side. Under section 6(1) of the Animal Welfare Act 2019 (Act No. 12 of 2019), offering for sale an animal that is suffering from injury, hunger, thirst or other cruelty without arranging treatment counts as unnecessary cruelty to an animal.

The guide advised against giving too much bran or other heavy feed before the trip. Farmers should give light grass and a moderate amount of water, and stop heavy feed four to five hours before loading. Many believe an animal fed well before loading will stay strong, the report said, but the opposite may be true: standing for a long time on a full stomach causes discomfort, and the animal may vomit or build up gas. Water, however, must never be stopped altogether.

International guidance points the same way. WOAH's Code says a short, species-specific period without feed before loading may be desirable, that feed and water should be given before the journey if it will last longer than the animal's normal interval between meals and drinks, and that animals switched to a new diet or a new way of drinking for the journey need time to adapt first. FAO's guidelines say most animals can be fed and watered before transport and that this has a settling effect.

The Animal Welfare Act 2019 sets the legal floor. Its section 6(1) treats failing to give an animal the food and water it needs, and forcing it to take excess food and water, as unnecessary cruelty.

The vehicle, the guide said, must have a strong bamboo or iron enclosure, a floor that is not slippery and room for air to move, and a roof protects animals from sun and rain. In Bangladesh animals are usually moved by truck, pickup or boat, but not every truck is fit to carry them. To earn more, a truck is often loaded with more animals than it can hold, so animals fall and are injured, struggle to breathe or even die. Each large animal must have enough room to stand.

FAO's guidelines describe the same requirements in detail. A livestock vehicle should be well ventilated and never totally enclosed, since poor ventilation causes stress and even suffocation in hot weather and can let exhaust fumes build up. Floors should be non-slip, and FAO recommends a removable grid of wooden or metal cross slats rather than grass or sawdust; broken floors cause leg injuries. The sides should be smooth, with no sharp edges or gaps through which a leg could be caught, and high enough to stop animals jumping out. FAO gives an approximate floor space of 1.0 to 1.4 square metres for each mature head of cattle, or 50 to 60 centimetres of vehicle length per animal loaded crosswise, adjusted for breed and size; when there is too much space, partitions stop animals being thrown about. A roof is not necessary for cattle and small ruminants, it says, provided they are not left for hours in the hot sun, and vehicles should carry a portable ramp so animals can be unloaded in an emergency.

How animals are grouped matters too. FAO advises against mixing horned and hornless animals, which causes bruising, and against mixing species, although sheep, goats and calves under six months can travel together; feet should not be tied, and bulls should be separated from other stock by a strong partition. WOAH adds that animals reared together should be kept together and aggressive animals kept apart.

In Bangladesh, section 6(1) of the Animal Welfare Act 2019 counts as unnecessary cruelty tying, confining or carrying an animal in such a way that it cannot stand, sit or lie naturally. Section 16 sets the penalty for such an offence at up to six months' simple imprisonment, a fine of up to Tk 10,000, or both, and section 5 allows the government to make rules on rearing, transporting and slaughtering animals by notification in the official gazette.

A frightened animal jumps suddenly, the guide said: it gets hurt, injures others with its horns or falls itself. A common sight in the country is animals being beaten onto trucks with sticks or ropes, which is not only cruel but dangerous. The report advised loading animals slowly, using a wooden ramp where needed, and said covering an animal's eyes often reduces its fear and an animal climbs more easily when an experienced person goes in front.

FAO calls avoiding excitement the first principle of animal handling. It can take up to 30 minutes for an animal's heart rate to return to normal after rough handling, and calm animals move more easily. Handlers should move slowly and deliberately and should not yell, whistle or make loud noises. Animals hesitate at things that scare them, such as shadows, sparkling reflections, dangling chains or moving people, and they tend to move from darker to lighter places; when an animal stops, FAO says, the distraction should be removed rather than more force used. A hesitant animal can often be led into a vehicle by first leading in a tame one. The guidelines add that even a mild shock from a battery prod, which should be used as little as possible, is more humane and causes less damage than hitting an animal with a stick or twisting its tail.

FAO says ramps should have cross slats or steps about 10 centimetres high and 30 centimetres deep so animals do not slip, and should slope at 20 degrees or less; vehicle floors should be level with the unloading platform, or animals will hurt themselves climbing off or be manhandled. WOAH's Code says painful methods, including whipping, tail twisting, nose twitches and pressure on the eyes, ears or genitals, and aids such as large sticks, sharp sticks, metal pipes, fencing wire or heavy leather belts, should not be used to move animals. It lists panels, flags, plastic paddles, flappers, plastic bags and rattles as acceptable aids, warns against excessive shouting, and says animals should not be thrown, dragged or dropped, or lifted by the tail, horns, ears or legs. It also notes that cattle are sociable and may become agitated if singled out.

The Animal Welfare Act 2019 counts overworking or needlessly beating an animal, and striking it with sharp metal objects to control it, as unnecessary cruelty under section 6(1).

The trip from a village to a city market can take 8 to 15 hours, the report said, and animals should not be kept standing for that long without a break. Where possible, the vehicle should stop at regular intervals so the animals can drink and be checked, and in extreme heat water should be sprinkled on them. Heatstroke is a major risk in hot weather, so travelling at night is often safer than at midday.

FAO's guidelines say high temperatures increase the risk of heat stress and death in transit, and that animals should be moved in the cooler mornings and evenings or at night; heat can build up quickly in a stationary vehicle. The vehicle should be driven smoothly, without jerks or sudden stops, and corners taken slowly, and a second person should travel to spot any animal that goes down so that the truck can stop. FAO's guidance is that cattle, sheep and goats should not travel for more than 36 hours and should be unloaded after 24 hours for feed and water if the journey is longer, and it noted moves in developed regions to limit livestock journeys to eight hours or less. For animals walked to a nearby market, it puts the maximum one-day trek at 30 kilometres for cattle and 24 kilometres for sheep and goats, with walking done in the cooler part of the day.

WOAH's Code says the time animals spend on a journey should be kept to a minimum. Animals should be rested at appropriate intervals and offered feed and water, on the vehicle or unloaded into suitable facilities; they should be observed soon after the journey begins and at every stop the driver makes; and the load should be checked again just before setting off after a meal break or refuelling. Tranquillisers and other behaviour-modifying drugs should not be used routinely during transport, the Code says, but only for a problem in an individual animal.

Unloading the animal and standing it up for sale is not the end of the job, the guide said. On arrival the animal should be rested, given water, cleaned and fed. Many farmers wash cattle so their coats shine, but it is better not to use anything extra; a clean, healthy animal catches buyers' eyes quickly. WOAH's Code adds that unloading should be quiet, without unnecessary noise, harassment or force, and done with the expectation that the animals will be tired, and that holding facilities should give every animal space, ventilation, water and shelter from extreme weather.

The report warned about brokers who, it said, demand extra tolls, try to force a place in the market on the farmer and threaten that nothing will sell without them. In the Eid season some dishonest people target farmers on the road or at the market, and new farmers suffer most. Its advice was to seek help from the local administration or the market committee and to stay in touch with traders the farmer knows. FAO's guidelines note the welfare side of this: livestock that pass through one or more agents between the producer and the buyer usually suffer more damage, because each time an animal is handled by a different middleman the chance of injury and stress rises.

For security, the guide advised keeping watch at night, tying ropes firmly, not handing responsibility to strangers and, where possible, staying together in a group, since animals are often swapped or stolen while their owners sleep. At the 3 May briefing the minister said law enforcers would be on duty at the markets and that 20 veterinary medical teams would be available round the clock.

The report's last warning was about drugs. Some dishonest traders use harmful injections to make cattle look fat, it said, which is dangerous for the animals. Healthy, naturally raised animals were in greater demand, and careful buyers watch an animal's behaviour, eyes and gait.

Two laws apply. Section 14 of the Fish Feed and Animal Feed Act 2010 (Act No. 2 of 2010) bans the use of antibiotics, growth hormones, steroids, pesticides and other harmful chemicals in fish and animal feed and makes a breach an offence; under section 20, an offence under the Act is punishable by up to one year's imprisonment, a fine of up to Tk 50,000, or both. For animal feed, the licensing authority under section 5 is the Director General of the Department of Livestock Services or a first-class officer he authorises. Section 6(1) of the Animal Welfare Act 2019 also counts as unnecessary cruelty deliberately and without reason giving an animal, by mouth or by injection, any drug or substance that is harmful to it or not meant for it.

Field officers said they were watching for this in 2026. In its 17 May report from Rangpur, bdnews24 said field monitoring had been stepped up in the division to prevent the use of artificial hormones or other harmful substances, and that officials described the animals there as raised hygienically on farms.

Photo: Wasiul Bahar / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). The top picture shows cattle tied to bamboo poles at an Eid al-Adha cattle market in Bangladesh in June 2024, as background.

Sources: Jagonews24 (21 May 2026), bdnews24.com (3, 17 and 18 May 2026), Dhaka Times (3 May 2026), The Business Standard Bangla (3 May 2026), BSS (5 May 2026), Animal Welfare Act 2019 and Fish Feed and Animal Feed Act 2010 (bdlaws, Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division), WOAH Terrestrial Animal Health Code, Chapter 7.3 'Transport of animals by land', WOAH foot-and-mouth disease page, FAO 'Guidelines for humane handling, transport and slaughter of livestock' (RAP Publication 2001/4), Department of Livestock Services 'Livestock Economy at a Glance (2023-2024)'.