Government bans import of sacrificial animals, vows to curb smuggling

Holiday Report
At an inter-ministerial meeting recently the government has decided to bar the import of cattle from across the border and asked the law enforcers to strictly monitor the border so traders or local influential person can’t bring in sacrificial animal.
The country has enough supply as farmers have raised and fattened cattle and goats to meet the demand on the holy occasion. The meeting decided to ban import of all kind of sacrificial animals (cattle, buffalos, goats, sheep and camels) until Eid-ul-Azha so that local breeders don’t face truble in salleing their animal.
The meeting at the secretariat was presided over by State Minister for Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock Md Ashraf Ali Khan Khasru, MP.
The meeting also decided to ask law enforcement agencies to curb smuggling of cattle into the country through the borders.Eid-ul-Azha is scheduled to be held on August 12.
A statement issued by the Fisheries and Livestock Ministry last evening said the stock of sacrificial animals in the country was estimated at 1.18 crore this year, higher than last year’s demand, which was 1.15 crore.
Out of total 1.15 crore livestock last year, the number of sacrificial animals was 1.05 crore.This year’s stock included 458,200 cattle and buffalos, 7.2 million goats and sheep and 6,563 other sacrificial animals, the Ministry said.
The Ministry also said all required measures will be taken to ensure supply and safety of sacrificial animals at the markets.It said measures had been taken to organize 24 cattle markets in different areas of two city corporations in Dhaka and every market would get two veterinary medical teams.
Among 24 markets initiated, the Dhaka North City Corporation will get 10 while Dhaka South City Corporation will have 14 markets.