Cattle markets boom

• Widespread violation of health guidelines were seen in capital’s cattle market

• DGHS is concerned over breach of guidelines at cattle markets 

• Gabtoli cattle haat fined for ignoring hygiene rules

Government announced health rules, aimed at combating the spread of Covid-19, were hardly followed in cattle markets, locally called haats as the markets were buzzing with buyers and sellers of sacrificial animals across the country yesterday ahead of Muslim religious festival Eid-ul-Azha which will be celebrated on Wednesday.

Lack of supervision by the local government and rural development ministry has made the cattle markets in the country a ticking bomb to spread the coronavirus. Bangladesh government has allowed the people to buy animals from cattle markets for sacrificial purpose at the time when the nation is experiencing the worst bout of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has been claiming an average of more than 200 lives daily over the past 10 days.

Meanwhile, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has expressed concern over health protocol breaches at the cattle markets across the country where trading of sacrificial animals is underway, with Eid-ul-Azha just around the corner.

“As the cattle markets are supervised by the local government and rural development ministry, we know they too are monitoring the health safety measures there. Also, both buyers and sellers should take responsibility,” Dr Nazmul Islam, spokesperson for the DGHS, said at a virtual briefing.

The DGHS already issued specific suggestions to all civil surgeons in this connection, he added. “Teams led by the civil surgeons and the deputy commissioners were already monitoring the health safety rules in all districts.”

In the meantime, the capital's Gabtoli cattle market was fined Tk 10 lakh on Monday for not paying attention to health rules amid the coronavirus pandemic. Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) mayor Atiqul Islam fined the haat authorities for not complying with social distancing and hygiene rules. The mayor also stopped the sales for an hour.

Visiting several cattle markets in the city on Sunday and Monday, it was seen that most of the people did not wear mask while maintenance of safe distance remained elusive. Arrangement of washing hands was mostly absent. Twenty cattle markets in Dhaka started trading sacrificial animals on Saturday amid widespread violation of health guidelines.

A makeshift cattle market near East End Club playground at Dhupkhola of Gendaria under the Dhaka South City Corporation extended its activity on various roads and open spaces in front of houses and shops up to Doyaganj.

DSCC chief executive officer Farid Ahmed said that they had given permission to some cattle markets to use open spaces adjacent to the market places to avoid mass gathering at one place as they had cancelled three makeshift cattle markets. “Many people have already complaint about the cattle market at Dhupkhola. We are trying our best to look into the matter. However, there is a political pressure over Dhupkhola Cattle market,” he said.

Earlier on last Wednesday, the National Technical Advisory Committee on Covid-19 recommended keeping the sacrificial cattle markets closed as part of their recommended lockdown. Sacrificial cattle can be sold online in order to avoid public gathering, said the committee.

Meanwhile, the government asked authorities concerned to restrict the entrance of children and elderly people to the cattle markets. The Press Information Department in a handout on Wednesday said that all must ensure Covid health rules including wearing masks, using hand sanitisers and using thermal scanner at cattle markets.

The government relaxed the lockdown even during these coronavirus infections on the occasion of Eid-ul-Adha.

However, the notification stipulates a number of conditions at the cattle market, including the movement of vehicles. It also said that if these conditions are not met, there may be punishment including a fine.