The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has increased vigilance in border areas to prevent cattle smuggling from neighbouring countries ahead of the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha.
Targeting the Eid, some unscrupulous gangs have become active to smuggle cows into the country, but the BGB is taking a strict stand at the border to foil any such attempts, said a press release.
According to the press release, although Bangladesh currently is self-sufficient in livestock, the cattle smugglers are resorting to various unconventional methods to smuggle cattle into the country through the border. But BGB is always ready and professionally performing its duties at the border. Along with intelligence surveillance, it has increased raiding activities also to ensure that no cow can enter Bangladesh illegally through the border.
On June 17, one Shamim Hasan, 32, approached the Dhaldanga Company under BGB’s Kurigram Battalion, offering bribes in exchange of allowing cow smuggling. He told BGB that he has 5,000 cows across the border waiting to be smuggled into Bangladesh.
The officials of Dhaldanga Company arrested Hasan immediately on charges of making illegal offers of cattle smuggling. Later, legal action was taken against him.
Earlier, a syndicate of smugglers tried to smuggle cows into the country showing a letter of approval, prepared with forged signatures of home ministry officials, for setting up beets or khatals. Informing the issue to the home ministry to verify the authenticity of the letter, BGB came to know that the ministry had not issued any such letter at all.
Later, the ministry filed a case with Shahbagh police station to take legal action against the fraudulent gang.
The potential demand for sacrificial animals this year is 1,03,94,739 and the country has 1,25,36,333 animals in stock. So, the country has 21,41,594 sacrificial animals more than the demand, said Fisheries and Livestock Minister SM Rezaul Karim recently at a press conference at the Secretariat.
"Like the past four-five years, it will be possible to meet the demand for sacrificial animals with domestically produced cattle. There is no need to import animals from abroad," he said.
Last year the number of sacrificial animals stood at 1,21,24,389, of which, 9,921,941, were sacrificed, he said citing various surveys.
He estimated that the number of sacrificed animals may cross 1 crore this year, meaning the demand will increase by some 4.72 lakh.
According to Rezaul, this time, 4,843,752 cows and buffaloes, 7,690,000 goats and sheep and 2,581 other species of cattle are among the animals that can be sacrificed.
He said the total number of cattle to be sacrificed this year is 1,25,36,333, which is 4,11,944 more than 2022.
The minister said mobile courts will be conducted to prevent the use of banned antibiotics and hormones to fatten animals, so that no sick animals are sold. Medical teams will also be deployed.
This year, Rajshahi division has the highest number of 45,11,614 sacrificial animals in the whole country. Among other divisions, the number of such animals stands at 8,95,454 in Dhaka, 20,53,128 in Chattogram, 15,11,708 in Khulna, 4,93,206 in Barishal, 4,10,225 in Sylhet, 19,62,951 in Rangpur and 6,98,047 in Mymensingh division.
According to the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, a total of 1.21 crore sacrificial animals were prepared in these farms and common households in 2022. Among those, 99.2 lakh animals, including cows, buffaloes, goats, and sheep were sacrificed.
In 2021, 90.93 lakh animals were sacrificed. The number of sacrificial animals increased by 8.62 lakh, or 9.48 per cent, last year.
