Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) on Sunday launched an online marketplace of sacrificial animals titled ‘Digital Haat’ with a target to sell one lakh cattle ahead of the Eid-ul Azha.
LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Md Tazul Islam virtually inaugurated the online platform by purchasing a cow of Tk 148,000 from the online marketplace.
The e-Commerce Association of Bangladesh (e-CAB) and Bangladesh Dairy Farm Association are jointly implementing the digital haat.
Read Digital Cattle Markets in Bangladesh to Buy Sacrificing Animals Online
Anyone can buy sacrificial animals from the digital cattle market https://digitalhaat.net/ staying home. The people outside DNCC can purchase animals from the site as well.
“Last year, some 27,000 cows were sold off through the digital market in three weeks ahead of Eid-ul Azha. This year we’ve a target to sell 100,000 cows,” DNCC mayor Atiqul Islam while presiding over the launching ceremony of the Digital Haat.
The mayor said DNCC will also render sacrificial animal slaughtering services to the people of the Dhaka metropolitan area. A person will be able to book for the slaughtering service from the page of the digital market even before he or she purchases cattle. The booking deadline for the service is July 12, he said.
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This year, they’ve a target to provide the slaughtering services of 1,000 cows, he said, adding that the target will be enhanced gradually in future.
He said they will reach the meat of the sacrificial animal to the doorstep of the service recipients through freezing vans.
But the rawhide will be given to an NGO named ‘Manobseba’and no payment will be given to the slaughtering service recipients for the rawhide.
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.
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Besides, the DNCC mayor said the sacrificial animals will be sold in total nine cattle markets – Gabtoli permanent cattle market and nine temporary markets—under the DNCC area. But there will be a live corner in every market and the buyers can see cattle live from the corner staying home, he said.
Atiqul said there is no scope for buyers and sellers to be deceived as the transaction will be made through Escrow system.
An escrow is a contractual arrangement in which a third party receives and disburses money or property for the primary transacting parties, with the disbursement dependent on conditions agreed to by the transacting parties.
Read No cattle from outside country ahead of Eid-ul-Azha: Livestock Minister
Explaining the Escrow system, the mayor said the sellers will not get money directly immediately after the payment is made. “The payment will initially go to an account of Bangladesh Bank. The money will be sent to the seller only after the buyer confirms of receiving the animal and expresses satisfaction,” he added.
Addressing the function, Fisheries and Livestock Minister SM Rezaul Karim said now there are more than 41 crore livestock animals (41,22,44,000) in the country.
“We’ve 1.19 crore sacrificial animals ready for the upcoming Eid-ul Azha,” he said.
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The Minister said the government did not allow any animal from outside the country during the last two Eid-ul Azhas and Bangladesh didn’t face any shortage of cattle as well.
“We’ve enough animals this year too,” he said, adding that there is no need to import sacrificial animals.
Rezaul said they want not a single animal to enter the country even in any illegal channel with a view to protect the interest of the local farmers.
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The Fisheries and Livestock Minister said they have a plan to set up a modern slaughtering house in every municipality and growth centre across the country.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr. Hasan Mahmud, Post and Telecommunications Minister Mustafa Jabbar, State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak and FBCCI President Jashim Uddin, among others, spoke on the occasion.
e-CAB president Shomi Kaiser, who moderated the function, said more than 100 merchants –--including 45 members of the last year's platform, members of e-CAB and Dairy Farm Association--- will be in the online marketplace.
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e-CAB general secretary Abdul Wahed Tomal made a presentation over the digital haat.