‘Digital Qurbani Haat’, an online marketplace of sacrificial animals, began on Sunday with a target to sell one lakh cattle ahead of the Eid-ul Azha to reduce the traditional pressure of people in the cattle markets.
The digital haat (www.digitalhaat.net) was inaugurated on Sunday on the online platform at the initiative of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and e-Cab.
LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Md Tazul Islam inaugurated the digital market virtually by purchasing a cow from there weighing about 350kg for Tk 1.48 lakh.
The digital haat is being jointly implementing by the e-Commerce Association of Bangladesh (e-CAB) and Bangladesh Dairy Farm Association.
It was informed at the launching event that there is a chance for bargaining through a virtual live platform at Digital Haat. The vendors here are verified and the weight of the cattle is measured on digital scales.
“Last year, some 27,000 cows were sold off through the digital market in three weeks ahead of Eid-ul Azha. This year we have a target to sell 100,000 cows as at least five lakh people will not go to the cattle market,” said DNCC Mayor Atiqul Islam at the launching ceremony of the Digital Haat.
More than a thousand entrepreneurs or farms have been added to this year's digital marketplace. The cows will be delivered to the customers within a week of purchase, Atiqul said.
DNCC would also provide slaughtering services of sacrificial animals to the residents of the Dhaka metropolitan area, the mayor said, adding that a person will be able to book for the service from the website even before buying cattle.
The deadline to book the service is July 12, he said.
Mentioning that this year, a target has been taken to provide the slaughtering services of 1,000 cows, the mayor said the target would be expanded in future.
He further said the meat of the sacrificial animals would be delivered to the doorstep of the service recipients by 25 freezing vans.
Atiqul said they will set up modern slaughtering houses nearby the Gabtoli permanent cattle market as the Prime Minister instructed him to establish such slaughtering houses.
Rawhides of the sacrificial animals will be sold on the Manobseba platform and distributed among the people, according to the mayor.
Those who buy cows online do not have to pay Hasil and buyers will be given all kinds of security, said the DNCC mayor. However, buyers, he added, can complain to the Directorate of National Consumers' Rights Protection if they feel they were deceived.
The DNCC mayor further said the sacrificial animals would be sold in a total of nine cattle markets – Gabtoli permanent cattle market and nine temporary markets—under the DNCC area.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud said, "We are concerned about the sacrificial cattle market amid the pandemic. Online haats will play an important role in protecting people against the corona crisis.”
State Minister for Information and Communication Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak suggested setting up a call centre for buyers and sellers in the online market.
