The biggest cattle market in the southwest region, in “Sat mile” (7 Miles) in Sharsha Upazila of Jessore, is running without a lease.
By depositing a small amount of money in the government treasury, a local group of BNP men allegedly took control of the market.
Jamal Uddin, a local resident, said that the lease of the Sat Mile cattle market in Baganchra ended on April 13 this year.
After that, Baganchra Union Awami League general secretary Elias Kabir Bakul and Kaiba Union Awami League president Hasan Firoz Tinku illegally ran the market without any lease.
Traders accepted cards from them for Tk3,000, but they used to collect an extra Tk500 per cow from them. Tk1,000-1,200 per cow was collected from common buyers.
However, since the market was not leased, the government passed the price from Tk400 to Tk600. After the fall of the dictatorial government, the leaders of Awami League fled.
Later, Sharsha upazila administration was managing the cattle market with the students for two days. The cardholders were angry when each cow pass started at the same price as the cardholders and ordinary buyers in the market.
The upazila administration closed the market on August 20, fearing the deterioration of law and order if they started the movement. After a month, the market was reopened on September 20.
Baganchra BNP leader Jahangir Hossain took over the cattle market.
His team now earns Tk12 lakh per cattle market (each day the market sits) but only Tk2 lakh is deposited to the government fund.
According to sources, Jahangir Hossain, the joint convener of the local union BNP, got the unwritten responsibility of the cattle market after the change of political crises. He got five hats after taking charge. Markets are held here two days a week, Tuesday and Saturday.
According to sources, each cattle market earns at least TK12 lakh.
But they deposit only Tk90,000 to Tk1.2 lakh deposited in the government fund.
On April 23 this year Baganchra UP chairman Abdul Khalek made a written request to the Deputy Commissioner of Jessore alleging irregularities in Sat Mile's cattle market.
In the application, he mentioned that on April 9, the Sharsha Upazila Officer formed a committee of seven members to collect the toll of this market, which was chaired by Baganchra union chairman.
Sharsha Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Nazir Ahmed said that the Sat Mile cattle market will be leased soon. The government is getting Tk2 lakh per from the cattle market without lease.
Some 5% of the money collected from the cattle market is spent on the development of the Union Parishad, and 15% of the cattle market.