With only three days to go before Eid-ul-Azha, sacrificial animal markets in Siddhirganj upazila of Narayanganj have come alive, with traders arriving constantly from far and wide with their cattle.
The No 2 Dhakeshwari Ibrahim Textile ground in the upazila is packed with sacrificial animals. The main attraction is a pair of big bulls named Raja and Badsha. Buyers and onlookers are crowding round to see the two huge animals; many take photos, and many film them and share the videos on Facebook.
The two Holstein Friesian bulls weigh 25 maunds each and are being offered at Tk 25 lakh each. They are black with light white markings, 10 feet long and 6 feet tall, and are fed wheat bran, chickpeas, green grass and straw.
Why the names
Their owner, Ahmedul Haque, who brought them from Shahjadpur in Sirajganj, said the bulls look like kings and emperors, so he gave them these names out of affection. He has been rearing them for about three years.
On the high asking price, he said cattle feed is now very expensive and each bull has to be fed Tk 1,200-1,500 worth of feed a day. He hopes to sell both at the price he wants.
The market's lease-holder, freedom fighter Shah Alam, said about 4,000 sacrificial animals have come to the market from far and wide. Because the lease was granted late this time, the number of animals is somewhat lower, but he hopes all the cattle will be sold before the set time. Sellers are giving their cattle attractive names to draw buyers, he said, and among them Raja and Badsha are creating the biggest stir.
Enough animals, says livestock officer
Narayanganj district livestock officer Basana Akter told Jagonews that the district's sacrifice target this year is 1 lakh animals, and more cattle than needed are ready. Besides specialised farms, ordinary farms and farmers are rearing livestock at home for the sacrifice. Nine animal markets have been approved in the Siddhirganj area this year, and her office is keeping watch on each of them. "There are enough cattle ready compared with demand this time," she said.
Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.
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