Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said no makeshift cattle markets will be allowed to be set up in the capital before Eid-ul-Azha.
"This time all the cattle markets will have designated boundaries, which cannot be expanded," the minister said on Sunday, talking to reporters after two back-to-back meetings with law enforcement agency officials at the Secretariat, reports UNB.
He said: “This year, there will be 22 cattle markets set up by the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC).”
“No cattle markets will be allowed to be set up in residential areas, near rail lines and on highways. There will be one police camp for each of the markets, while constant supervision and security will be ensured by Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) through closed-circuit television (CCTV) surveillance,” he added.
“Security personnel will also be deployed near all shopping centres, commercial areas and places where Eid Salah will be offered to ensure security for all,” he said.
The minister further said: “Several ‘money squads’ will also be available in the cattle markets, for those who may hesitate to travel with huge sums of money, while all entry points, known for distribution of illegal medicines and steroids to bulk up cattle, along the border will be sealed off in addition to all the points known for smuggling cowhides.”
According to information provided by the home ministry, Muslims across the country had sacrificed around 11.5 million cattle, during the last Eid-ul-Azha.
Eid-ul-Azha is the second largest religious festival of the country and is likely to be celebrated in the country on August 22 this year, subject to the sighting of the moon.
Representatives from the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) were also present at the meeting.
All banks were asked to remain open in industrial areas on the day before Eid, so wages of workers may be disbursed seamlessly by garment factory owners.
The home minister urged the garment owners to pay wages and festive bonuses of the workers before Eid, and introduce shift-duty for their workers in order to ease traffic jams.
In response to the BGMEA and BKMEA requests, the ministry decided that to set up new factories and industries a clearance from the Ministry of Commerce will be required, apart from having approval from other trade bodies.
The minister said a letter in this regard will soon be sent from the home ministry to the commerce ministry.
In another meeting with law enforcement officials, the minister discussed security measures over the upcoming 43rd National Mourning Day to be observed on August 15.