A group of people is following a shiny gentle cow with a colourful garland around its neck walking along a cattle market. Suddenly some were heard sounding be careful there is a runaway bull. Those, who saw the jostling and heard the warning, sprang up to the roadside either in fear of being gored or to give way for the unruly animal on the crowded street as if a roadmaster is coming. Then the crowd takes their possession of the road again once the first uncouth bull disappears and until the second bunch of buyers shout out 'beware of the bull'.
On way back home, everyone in the neighbourhoods along the way looks at the sacrificial animal and immediately asks, "How much did the cow cost?" The smiling answer to this question is Tk 1 lakh. One of the group members has to resonate, '1 lakh'…'1 lakh'…'1 lakh'.
This is the signature feature before Eid-ul-Adha every year particularly Dhaka. As soon as Eid comes, the whole country wears festive looks, prepare to go to the market. Some older children of the families accompany their parents or uncles to the market together to buy the cows of their choice.
But the traditional joy of Eid-ul Adha and fun centring the activities of animal buying seems to be fading. People are not in a hurry to go to the market physically. There is no offline bargaining for the big bulls and the discussions of the size of the cows, too, have disappeared.
Coronavirus pandemic has crippled normal life, so are the cattle markets. Although there are a total of 16 haats (cattle market) in the two north and south city corporations of the capital Dhaka. As prospective animal buyers are concerned about their health issues in those cattle markets, the shape and nature of the offline cattle markets of this year will take change.
DNCC Digital Haat has brought various online platforms for the convenience of the buyers. In cooperation with Dhaka North City Corporation, Information Technology Department of the government and Bangladesh Dairy Farm Association and e-Cab are collaborating with each other in managing the virtual and virus-free cattle market.
In the digital market, buyers bargain and buy cows from sellers by looking at still pictures and watching videos. But the feeling of touching the cattle while choosing a lovely and flawless one for sacrificing for the sake of Allah is missing greatly this year.
Mollah Shihab Uddin, who works for an NGO in Dhaka, told The Business Post that his village home is in Bagerhat district. Every year, I buy a sacrificial animal from the local market with my father. This year will be no exception.
When asked about his plan to go to the market physically at risk of coronavirus, he said, "The size of the animal cannot be understood by looking at the pictures on the computer screen."
The animal can be presented brilliantly by editing the picture. What shown in the picture may not be delivered in reality. Moreover, it is difficult to understand the age and health of the animal without seeing it face to face, he added.
Many buyers are struggling to shrug off the distrust of online cattle shopping. Highlighting the issue, bank official Md Mozammel said, "The registration of online institutions has not matured yet. Whoever wants to do business, can open an online page or website turns into a startup businessman. It is true that many entrepreneurs are being created but there is still a chance of cheating. Distrust in online shopping is on the rise."
"I have seen many of my acquaintances cheating by buying clothes, shoes, sarees and other electronics products from there," he added. "That is why, this time we will go to the market, keeping social distance. When eight people used to go to market before but now three will go."
Abu Bakar Siddique, head of the online shop Jam Jam Food, said he had brought 15 cows for sale online this year. However, the buyers have been bargaining after watching the video of the cows, but none of them has been sold yet.
However, he hopes that at least 10 cows will be sold. With the exception of a few reputed online shops, most say they have sold only 1 to 2 cows so far. However, they are not disappointed with this. Hopefully, since there is still a week to go, they will get a response from buyers in the coming days.
Keeping a social distance from home this year, DNCC Digital Hut is running for the convenience of buyers. According to e-Cab, there are currently 34 online retailers displaying more than 1500 cows of these organizations have been added. Buyers will be able to buy local and foreign breeds of cattle, goats, buffaloes and camels from this market.
Urban buyers fall into the crisis of buying sacrificial animals as there are space constraints. This digital market has also brought solutions for them as these platforms have the arrangement of slaughtering animals in a halal way and delivering them to the buyers' home.
E-Cab General Secretary Abdul Wahed Tamal said, "The coronavirus has changed people's way of life." Earlier people did not want to buy anything online but now a large part of them have become completely dependent on online.
Rebutting the allegations of high prices, Tamal said we have already fixed the prices of cattle so that online buyers are not deceived. No one can sell beyond that fixed price.
We also guarantee that buyers can buy healthy animals. In addition, if anyone buys a sacrificial animal, s/he has to pay only 10 per cent of the money upfront and the rest will be paid by the buyers after receiving the sacrificial animal. There is no chance for the buyers to be deceived from this side, he added.
aa/wi
