Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Atiqul Islam has said transactions at smart cattle markets will be made smartly.

He said this at a press conference titled 'Smart Bangladesh Smart Haat' on digital payments at DNCC's sacrificial animal markets, held at a hotel in the capital at midday on Monday (19 June).

Mayor Atiq said: "Under the slogan 'Smart Bangladesh, Smart Haat', DNCC's 8 temporary sacrificial animal markets will have digital payment arrangements, and these will be the smart markets. We are gradually moving towards a smart Bangladesh, and as part of that all transactions will be done smartly. In the same way, we will be able to make cashless transactions at the sacrificial animal markets."

He said bank accounts have already been opened for 10,000 farmers for these transactions. "We will no longer have to carry money to the market, and cattle owners will not face trouble going home with cash, because transactions will be digital."

Atiqul Islam said Bangladesh Bank took up a pilot of the initiative in 2022 to introduce digital payments at sacrificial animal markets and bring marginal animal sellers into financial inclusion through individual retail accounts, and Tk 33 crore was transacted. This year the target is Tk 150 crore.

The 8 temporary DNCC markets that will run as smart markets with digital payments are on the open space in the Bou Bazar area next to Sectors 16 and 18 at Diabari, Uttara; the open space next to Bhatara (Sayed Nagar); the open space next to Shialdanga, Kawla; Blocks E, F, G and H of Eastern Housing at Aftabnagar, Badda (part of the former Badda union parishad); the open space next to the 40-foot road at Bosila, Mohammadpur; the Mirpur Gabtoli cattle market; the open space at Mirpur Section 6, Ward 6 (Eastern Housing); and the open space of the Dhaka Polytechnic Institute playground.

Leasing of a new market at Paschimpara in Ward 44 is under way. Sacrificial animals will also be sold at the Gabtoli market, where payments can be made digitally.

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