It is bitterly cold, and the chill is worse on the river. In this harsh weather, 24 cattle have been spending night after night on a small boat moored on one side of the river. Seven cows have already died in the freezing cold, yet no safe shelter has been arranged for the animals.

Enquiries on Monday 5 January found that Sadar police station seized 31 Indian cattle in a special police drive on the Surma river in Sunamganj on 20 December. The station's officer in charge (OC), Ratan Sekh, then said the cattle would be auctioned at 11am on 21 December.

The next morning, however, the Sunamganj Sadar police station Facebook account announced that the cattle would not be auctioned for the time being because of legal complications. Since then the cattle have been kept day and night on a small boat under a stretched tarpaulin, and seven have died.

Asked about it, Sunamganj Sadar police station OC Ratan Sekh said the cattle could not be auctioned because of legal complications. "So we are keeping them on the river. Seven of them have died," he said.

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